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http://www.archive.org/details/landofbondageitsOOwain 



THE 



LAND OF BONDAGE; 



MM Btinttinentii ml l^mmi CiiniiitioE: 



THE JOURNAL 



A TOUR IN EGYPT 



4"' - 

y j; M. WAINWEIGHT, D. D. 



NEW-YORK : 
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 

2 00 BEOAD W AY. 

M.DCCC.LII. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by 

J. M. WAINWRIGHT, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Com't for the Southern District of New-York. 



y ^1^ 



.\^ 



TO 



THE REV. JAMES C. RICHMOND. 

Dear Eichmond, 

I dedicate tliis volume to you as a public recogmtion of the aid you have aftbrded 

me in prepaiing it, as well as the former one upon the Holy Land, for the press. Both have 

been composed from the journal of my tour, the lettere sent to my family duiing its progTess, 

and various notes, memoranda and meditations, -wiitten fi'om time to time. These documents 

were not in a state for jJubhcation ; and, imremittingly occujsied as I am in the urgent duties of 

the ministiy, I do not think I should have found the time or had the com'age to revise them, 

and weave them into a continuous narrative, but for the encouragement and assistance of a 

fiiend who could work both with me and for me. I alluded to this association in my preface 

to the " Pathways and Abiding Places of our Lord," but you did not then permit me to use 

your name ; now, however, I must claim the light to do it in order to satisfy my sense of 

justice. 

I am, dear Eichmond, 

Veiy sincerely yom- friend, 

JONA. M. WAINWEIGHT. 
New- York, October, 1851. 



While I tliouglit upon a suitable name for the book which is here 
offered to the reader, as a record of my tour through Egypt, among 
all the titles that presented themselves to my mind, no other, upon 
the whole, seemed more exjDressive or appropriate than this, " The 
Land of Bondage." For though Egypt may be justly considered as 
the cradle of our civilization, and perhaps the very birthplace of 
many of the arts which we have usually imagined that we derive 
from Greece and Rome, yet it is questionable whether any other 
country can be pointed out, which, through so many ages, has wit- 
nessed the continual serfdom or slavery of its inhabitants. Beyond 
the Scripture records, all that relates to the land of the JSTHe seems to 
be enveloped in the mist of fables ; but at the very outset of our 
more accurate knowledge we find the people, like Esau, perfectly 
willing to sell their birthright for a mess of pottage. But even 
before this, the despotic power of the king was not only manifested 
in. his summary treatment of the officers of his household, but the 
very honors conferred upon Joseph give evidence, that when he was 
sold into slavery he was carried into a land of slaves. The barbaric 
pomp in which he was arrayed, and the cry that went before him. 



VI 



' Bow the knee !' and the declaration of Pharaoh, ' without thee shall 
no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt,' have a 
strong significance. And whatever benefits the Hebrew slave, now, 
by legitimate oriental custom, become chief ruler after the despot, 
might have conferred upon his father's house, it was certainly no 
blessing to a starving people when they gave up in succession their 
cattle, their lands, and themselves. When there was nothing left but 
their bodies and their lands, they cried, ' buy us and our land for 
bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh.' The 
removal of the people from one end of Egypt to the other, was a 
refinement in desj)otism which could never have been practised 
except upon willing bondmen ; and to such only could the ruler say, 
' Behold ! I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh.' 
Such is the first certain epoch in the history of this Land of Bondage, 
pointing plainly to a population already ripe for a condition of 
servitude. 

To the children of Israel Egypt was emphatically the type of 
slavery; and during the four hundred and thirty years of their 
sojourn in it they were subjected to the bitterest of taskmasters. 
When the day of their Exodus, under the Divine hand, arrived, they 
went up out of EgyjDt literally from the house of bondage. 

Again, the idea which the Holy Scriptures bring to the mind, 
when Egypt is the theme, is not unfrequently to the same purpose. 
Thus the prophet Isaiah, in his denunciations, in the nineteenth 
chapter, entitled ' the burden of Egypt,' declares ' the spirit of Egypt 



vn 



s^all fail in the midst thereof;' 'and the Egyptians will I give over 
mto the liand of a cruel lord ; and a fierce king shall rule over them,' 
' and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.' 

Similar declarations occur in the harsher language of the prophet 
Ezehiel. — ' I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the 
countries that are desolate, and her cities, among the cities that are 
laid waste, shall be desolate forty years, and I will scatter the 
Egyptians among the nations.' But at the end of the forty years a 
more terrible and lasting degradation is pronounced : ' and I wiU 
bring again the captivity of Egypt into the land of their habitation ; 
and they shall be there a base kingdom. It shall be the basest of 
the kino-doms.' 

Nor can we look upon the colossal works which remain to fix our 
attention and excite our wonder, without the painful remembrance 
that they are to Egypt mighty landmarks of her ancient servitude. 
The very greatness of the pyramids is a speaking proof of the 
despotic power of one iron will, brought to bear with a crushing 
and irresistible force upon a population of bondslaves. How futile 
would prove the attempt to raise, in a free land, structures so vast 
and of such comparative inutility. Thus the very wonders that 
attract the footsteps of the pilgrim, and seem to be the glory of 
Egypt, distinguishing her from all other lands, cannot be contemplated 
without a reminiscence of her ancient degradation. 

The same picture of a nation of slaves rises up before us in her 
modern history. From the days of her subjugation to a false creed. 



Vlll 



of the religious domination of tlie Caliphs, clown to the slaughter of 
the Mamelukes, by that hand which I saw about to descend, dyed in 
blood, to the grave, the history of Egypt has ever been the same ; 
one tyrant over an oppressed and desolated people. The facts re- 
corded in the following pages bear the same mournful testimony ; 
and whether we look upon the cultivated fields which the poor 
peasant cannot irrigate without the burden of a heavy tax, or enter 
the sugar factories of the tyrant which are carried on by forced 
labor, or behold that greatest monument of modern cruelty, indiffer- 
ence to human life, and oppression, the Mahmoudieh Canal, torn 
up amid the groans and cries and despair of starving men, women, 
and children, we must still drop a silent tear over Egypt, as a Land 
of Bondage. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 





PAGE 


Introduction : ....... 


1 


Starting Point — Rome, ..... 


2 


Tlie Diligence and the Robbers, 


3 


Naples — British Policy, ..... 


4 


The Bay — Neapolitan Degradation, 


5 


Detestable Despotism, ..... 


6 


Vesuvius — Fantastic Changes, .... 


7 


Naples to Messina, ...... 


7 


Vesuvius — Bay of Baiae, .... 


8 


Capri — Stromboli, ...... 


9 


Scylla and Charybdis, ..... 


. 10 


Harbor — Ruins, ...... 


11 


Messina, ....... 


11 


Lemon and Orange Trade, ..... 


12 


Bombardment of Messina, .... 


. 13 


Etna, ....... 


13 


Sicilian Sunset, . . ... 


. 14 


Malta, . 


14 


Fortifications — Health Otficer, .... 


. 15 


Valetta — Manners and Customs, . . . . 


16 


St. Paul's Bay, 


. 17 


Malta — Melita, ...... 


18 


Malta to Alexandria, ..... 


. 18 


Fellow-Passengers — a Portly Monk, 


19 


Superstitious Legend, . . . . , . 


. 20 



X 



CONTENTS. 



First Sight of Egypt, 

Harbor of Alexandria — Turkish Fleet, 

National Banners — Arab Servility, 

Scenes at Landing, 

Contrast of Customs, 

Alexandria: 

Thoughts on Alexandria, 
Foundation of Alexandria, 
Foundation of Alexandria — Library, 
Ruins of Alexandria, 
The Pharos of Alexandria, 
Pompey's Pillar, 
Cleopatra's Needles, 
English Church — Toleration, 

Passage fkom Alexandria to Cairo : 
Mirage — Mahmoudieh Canal, 
Railway — the Delta, 
Thoughts on the Nile, 
Antoine D'Abbadie, . 
Aspect of the Nile — The Barrage, 
The Pyramids — Cairo, 
A Cruel Frank — Road from Boolak 
Mooled E'Nebby, 

Residence in Grand Cairo : 
Fanaticism — Arabic Music, 
A Grand Panoramic View, 
First Sunday in Cairo, 
Church Service in a Foreign Land, 
A Mohammedan Crowd — A Devotee. 
A Downtrodden People, 
A Day of Social Gratification, 
Turkish Shops — Hospitable Reception, 
Eastern Forms of Salutation, 
Salutations and Replies, 
The Bazaar — Modes of Ablution, 
The CitLidol and its Environs, 
Citadel, Mosque, and Palace, 
Courts of Justice — Prisons — Joseph's Well, 
Exiiibition of Magic, 
Form of Incantation, 
El Azhar — Tlie Shining Blosque, 



PAGE 

21 
22 
23 
24 
25 

25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 

33 
■34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 

41 
42 
43 
43 
44 
45 
46 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
50 
51 
52 
63 
54 
66 



CONTENTS. 



XI 



The Principal Mosques of Cairo, 

Benevolent Uses of El Azhar, 

An Example for the Church, 

Hassanin tlie Holy — Rain in Egypt, 

Winter Weather in Cairo, 

Dr. Abbott's Museum, 

Dr. Abbott's House, . 

Objects of High Antiquity, 

An Egyptian Charter Party, . 

Arrangements for our Voyage on the Nile, 

A Turkish Bath, 

Garden and Palace of the Shoobra, 

Servants of the Pasha, 

Embarkation on the Nile, 

Our Nile Boat, 

Another Day in Cairo, 

El Kaidbai, . 

Island of Rhoda, . 

Mosque of Tayloon, . 

Arab Music and Dance, . 

Effects of a Tyrannical Government, 

First Visit to the Pyramids, 

Egg Ovens — The Egyptian Hen, 

The Pyramids in the Distance, 

Manner of Building the Pyramids, . 

Fruitless Attempt to destroy them. 

The Ascent of the Great Pyramid, . 

Prospect from the Summit, 

Visit to the Interior, 

The Sphinx, 

Original Design of the Pyramids, 

Design of the Pyramids, 

The Theory of Persigny, 

The Sailors of the Nile, 

Fare of the Sailors — Nile Scenes, . 

Meeting with Friends, 

Mode of carrying Water, 

Gratuity to the Sailors — El Fasher, 

A Sand Storm — Egyptian Dogs, 

Training of Water-carriers — Nile Appetite, 

The Trochilus and the Crocodile, . 

Gebel E'Tair — Coptic Convent, 

Amphibious Beggar Monk, . 

Shiftless Arabs — Raising Water, 



PAGE 

55 

66 

57 

68 

69 

69 

60 

61 

62 

62 

63 

64 

65 

65 

66 

66 

67 

68 

69 

70 

71 

71 

72 

73 

74 

75 

75 

76 

77 

78 

78 

79 

80 

81 

82 

83 

84 

85 

86 

87 

88 

89 

90 

91 



Xll 



CONTENTS. 



Sleeping on Wateh — A Delicious Climate, 
Aboofayder — Nile Sceneiy, 
Osioot — Competition, 
Apatliy in Trade — The Evil Eye, 
Mutual Protection — The First Crocodile, 
The Rais and Crew — Dangerous Pass, 
Amphitheatre of Hills — Clear Sky, 
Copts — Pigeons — Slave Boat, 
Difficulties of Navigation, 
The Date and Doum Palms, 
Our Successful Voyage, 
The Site of Thebes, 



PAGE 
92 

93 

94 

95 

96 

97 

98 

99 

100 

101 

102 

103 



Thebes :...... 

Valley of the Tombs of the Kings, . 

Tombs of the Kings, .... 

The Gates of the Kings, . . ' . 

Discovery of Belzoni's Tomb, 

The Harper's Tomb, ... 

Ancient Modes of Life revealed. 

Motives of the Constructors of the Tombs, . 

Egyptian Idea of a Future State, 

The Plain of Thebes, . . . . 

The Memnonium, .... 

Destruction by Fire — Architecture and Sculpture, 

Temple Palace at Koorneh — Early Rising, 

Courtesy of a Turkish Governor — Luxor, . 

Obelisks at Luxor and Paris, 

The Temple of Karnak, . , 

The Arab Chief at a Frank Dinner, 

The Harp of Memnon, . . . . 

Meedinet Abou — Tombs of the Queens, 

Captive Obelisks, . . . . , 

Our Last Day in Thebes, 

Farewell to Karnak, . . . , 

Return from the Tombs of the Kings, 



103 
104 
104 
105 
106 
107 
108 
109 
110 
111 
112 
113 
114 
115 
116 
117 
118 
119 
120 
121 
121 
122 
123 



Voyage down the Nile : . 

Visit to Dendcra, ..... 

Temple of Dcndora, .... 

Decline of Egyptian Architecture, 

Athor, the Ashtoreth of Milton, . 

Symbolical Design of the Teinplo, . 

Shameful Mutilation — Symbolical Sun and JFoon, 



123 
124 
124 
125 
126 
127 
128 



CONTENTS. xm 

PAGE 

Cleopatra — Head Winds, . . . . ... . .129 

Egyptian Guano — Animal Charcoal, ....... 130 

The Sugar Factory at Farshiout, . . . . . . . 130 

Process cf Sugar-making. . . . . . . . . -131 

Oppression of tlie Hireling, . . . . . . . .132 

Policy of Mehemet Ali — Ride to Abydos, . . . . , .133 

Abydos, .......... 133 

Beautiful Plain — Deceptive Distances, . . . . . . .134 

Temple and Palace of Abydos — Antiquity of the Arch, . . . . 135 

Lord Lindsay's Vision of Delight — Bedouin Arabs, ..... 136 

Illustrations of the Bible — Military Station, ..... 137 

An Egyptian Colonel Commandant, . . . . . . .138 

Abooteeg — Caravanserai, . . . . . . . .139 

Life of the Egyptian Travelling Merchant, ...... 140 

Visit to a Coptic Bishop, . ,. . , . . . . 140 

Plan of a Coptic Church, . . . . . . . . 141 

Hospitality of the Bishop — Song of the Boatmen, ..... 142 

Degradation of the Coptic Christians, ....... 143 

Interview with Pilgrims — Their Mode of Life, ..... 144 

A Hermit — The Church Service, ....... 145 

Tombs of Beni Hassan, ......... 145 

Approach to the Tombs — Their Antiquity, . . . . . .146 

Original Elements of Grecian Architecture, ..... 147 

Paintings on the Walls of the Tombs, ....... 148 

Conjectures in relation to Joseph in Egypt, ...... 149 

Manners and Customs Delineated, ....... 150 

DiiBeulty of Description — Crocodiles, ...... 151 

Continuance of our Voyage, . . . . . . . .151 

Dark and Bright Side of Monkish Character, ..... 152 

Our Rais — Giving a Name, ........ 153 

A Life-charm — Climate of the Thebaid, . . . . . . 154 

Returning to the Pyramids and Cairo, . . . . . . .155 

Memphis and the Pyramids, . . . . . . . .155 

Site of Memphis, ......... 156 

Tombs and Cat-pits at Sakkara, . . . . . . .157 

Mummified Cats, . . . . . . . . . 158 

Symmetry of the Great Pyramid, . . . . . . . 159 

Farewell to our Boat, . . . . . . . . .160 

The Dervishes of Caii-o, . . ... . . . . 160 

Interview with Sheiks, . . . . . . .'. .161 

Singular Services, . . . . . . . . .162 

Tricks of Dervishes, . . . . . . . . .163 

The Hospital and Medical School, . . . . . . .163 

A French Mussulman — The Hospital, ....... 164 



XIV 



CONTENTS. 





PAGE 


Arab Students— The Old Pasha, . . 


165 


Life, and Character of Mehemet Ali, .... 


. 166 


His Policy and Tyranny, ...... 


167 


His Private and Public Habits, . . . . 


. 168 


Presentation of the American Consul-General, 


169 


Abbas Pasha, the Viceroy, . . . . . 


. 170 


The Procession of a Bride from the Bath, . 


170 


Nuptial Ceremonials in Egypt, ..... 


. 171 


Mode of Worship in the Coptic Church, .... 


172 


The Copts — Their Numbers and Character, 


. 173 


The Petrified Forest, ...... 


174 


A Dinner after the Turkish Fasliion, .... 


. 175 


Our Departure from Egypt, ...... 


176 


The Pyramids, ........ 


177 


The Pyramids of Ghizeh, . . . . 


. 177 


Solid Contents of the Great Pyramid, .... 


179 


Interior of the Great Pyramid, . . 


. 180 


The False Pyramid, ...... 


181 


Thebes, . . . . . . . 


182 


Interior of the Tombs, ...... 


. 182 


Tomb at Eilethyas, . . . . . ' . 


183 


Gradual Destruction of the Paintings, .... 


. 184 


Representation of Ancient Peoples, . . . . 


185 


Representation of Various Trades, . . . . 


. 1S6 


Description of the Memnonium, ..... 


187 


The Temples, 


. 187 


Grand Hall of the Memnonium, ..... 


188 


Egyptian Art of Design, ..... 


. 189 


Enduring Impressions, 


190 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



1. Cairo and the Valley of the Nile, to face title. 

This view is taken from the Citadel, -which is on a rocky eminence overlooking the city and 
commanding a fine prospect of the rich valley, with the majestic river winding its way through 
and running towards the point of the Delta at the right hand of the picture, where it divides 
into distinct branches. The Pyramids of Ghizeh are in full view, and beyond them the range of 
the Libyan Hills, which protect the valley from the desert on the western side. The Mokattum 
Hills, of which the rock on which the Citadel is built is a sort of spni-, ai-e beliiud the spectator, 
and bound the valley on the eastern side. These two ranges run from north to south, and are 
hardly lofty enough to deserve the name of mountains. They are dreary, desolate, and of a 
sandy or yellowish color, without a patch of green, and form a striking contrast to the verdant 
valley which they shut in. The prominent places are designated on the engraving. But a few 
others may be pointed out. The palace and gardens at Shoubra may be seen at the extreme 
right, in the far distance, over the wing of the Mosque that hes in the shadow. The arches at 
the left are the aqueduct which conveys the water raised from the Nile to the Citadel. The 
magnificent Mosque in the Citadel, buUt of alabaster, which was begun more than twenty years 
ago by Mehemet Ali, and is now nearly completed, and the place of the Citadel, with the exten- 
sive buildings appropriated to the Pasha's harem, are behind the spectator, and so out of sight. 
The soldiers on the fortifications are an exact resemblance of the Egyptian foot troops, both in 
costume and in their lounging attitudes while on guard. The fortifications and their armament 
are in no better condition than they appear to be in the picture. The whole picture is as per- 
fect a representation as can well be conceived. , 

PAGE 

2. Map of Egypt, to face the inteoduction, 1 



ILLUSTRATIOKS. 



TO FACE PAGE 



3. Panorama of Alexandria, 25 

4. A Street in Cairo, 41 

This is a good representation of one of the better streets in Cairo, and of the manner in 
"wliich they are thronged by foot-passengers, men and women on donkeys, and camels carrying 
burdens. This street is comparatively Tvide, but it becomes narrower as you advance, and soon 
runs into a labyrinth of winding passages or alleys, so narrow that three persons could not walk 
abreast without jostling each other. From daybreak to sunset they are tilled with an active 
population, and if you are riding your legs are in constant contact with the foot-passengers, or in 
danger of being jammed to the wall by the burden of a loaded camel. But you are not without 
fair warning, for there is a constant cry, " riglak" thy foot, " yembak," thy side, " shimalak," to 
thy left, " yemeewak" to thy right, and so on. How they all get along without injury is a mys- 
tery, and yet I never saw a man, woman, or child run over, and rarely a stoppage in the streets, 
and then only for a few moments. The windows of the houses are mostly projecting, and are 
covered with a wooden lattice-work of varied and often very beautiful designs. Thus an- is 
admitted, and the women can look out without being seen. In some of the streets these pro- 
jections in the upper stones nearly touch and sometimes overlap each other. The women of the 
middling classes go from place to place, riding man-fashion, as is seen in the engraving. Females 
of the higher classes ride in the same way, only they are usually preceded by a black eunuch, 
and by a number of then- female attendants, all mounted. The face is always closely veiled, 
. except the eyes ; and the head and person are covered by a large loose black sEk gannent, held 
together by the hands, for the women never guide the animals they ride, an attendant always 
leading them. "When the wind blows this silk garment puffs out and gives them the appear- 
ance of a huge shapeless bale stuck upon a donkey. Multitudes of the common women are seen 
carrying water-jars upon their heads. Tliey generally wear a black veil or else hold the loose 
outer garment over their mouths. An Egyptian or Turkish woman, if her mouth is cai'efully 
concealed, thinks that nearly every precaution which modesty requires has been taken, and is 
careless as to what the wind does with the covering of the upper part of her person. 

5. The Bazaar, 50 

Tlie Bazaars of Cairo are in the central portion of the city, and consist of one main avenue 
with many branches. They are narrow like the streets, and diifer from them only in being 
lined on both sides with open .shops, and covered over, where there is not a stone arching, with 
an awning. They are of course somewhat darker than the streets. In some sections a chain is 
put across so as to prevent donkeys or camels from entering. The shops are all small, and of 
little depth. The owner sits cross-legged upon his carpet in the centre, and only rises to reach 
his goods from the higher shelves. The customer never goes inside, but stands before the low 
platform in front, or if he chooses sits down upon it. A pipe is immediately offered him, and 
the process of bargaining goes on between the puffs. The shop-keeper always asks much more 
than he intends to take, and the buyer offers less tlian he means to give ; and thus the chaffer- 
ing goes on for some time, unless the muezzin from the nearest minaret calls out the hour of 
prayer. This for a time stops all busine*, and the devout Mussulman goes through his appoint- 
ed devotions, indifferent whether his customer leaves him or not. Indeed at all times the sliop- 
keeper.s \>\y their trade as if they cared vciy little about selling tlioir articles. The shops are 
all closed before sunset, and the Bazaars, crowded throughout the day, arc then deserted. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. xvii 

TO I'AOE PAGE 

6. 'Mosque of Sultan Hassan, 55 

This is the maiu entrance of the Mosque, the whole of Avhich forms so conspicuous a feature 
on the right hand of the general view of Cairo that faces the title-page. The minarets and 
the cupola or dome are at the left of this engraving, and hidden from the spectator, who stands 
iu the street. The carvings of the front, and especially in tlie porch, ai'e exti'eniely beautiful, and 
the effect of the whole is rendered very pecuUar by the mingling of layers of black and red 
marble with the white of wliich the mosque is principally composed. In the street is a bridal 
procession, such as is described at page 170 ; but hei'e the subject is one of the wealthier 
classes, and therefore the bride is covered with a canopy, and hired musicians playing on wind 
instruments, drums and cymbals, take the place of zughareet or the shrill cry of the women. 

7. Entrance to El Azhar, 56 

The principal street-front of this Mosque is by no means as imposing as that of Sultau Has- 
san, but its interior is for more extensive and magnificent. In the street are seen donkeys capa- 
'' risoned for the use of women who are coming from the Mosque. By looking at tlie donkey in 
the picture of the Bazaar, the reader will see the mode of saddling for the riding of men. The 
little boy seated at the door has just come from the school held iu one of tlie large squares of 
the Mosque, and has in his hand the board upon wliich the pupils are tauglit to read and 
wi'ite. 

8. Interior of a House at Cairo, 60 

9. Tombs of the Memlook Sultans, - 67 

Tliis is an accurate representation of the appearance of tliese splendid but now neglected 
edifices. They are near to Caii'o, and tliis view must have been taken at a short distance from 
the walls of the city. But the region is desolate, — not a sprig of verdure is to be seen, and the 
liiUs beyond are naked and barren, a portion of the Mokattum range. 

10. Tomb of Sultan Ka'i'dbai, 68 

The previous engraving shows the group of Tombs and Mosques in the distance. The two 
in each case are united, or rather the Mosque was built with a view to its being used as a splendid 
mausoleum for its founder. This gives a near view of the most beautiful of these edifices, all of 
which are remarkable. Their proportions are different but symmetrical. The arabesque tracery or 
fret-work upon the domes and minarets is exceedingly varied and of exquisite designs. It seems 
as if the eye could never be wearied in following out these most singular geometrical combina- 
tions. Mi\ Bartlett, to whom we are indebted for the picture, thus speaks of this edifice : " The 
lofty minaret, with its successive stages, tapering gracefully to the summit, and connected by 
galleries, is a beautiful specimen of this unique invention of Mahommedan art in its highest 
enrichment, and the dome is perhaps imequalled for its graceful proportion and its deUcate 
detail, the whole producing an effect at once grave, elegant, and fanciful ; an original combina- 
tion, wliich no one at all affected by art, nor even one of a ruder stamp, can possibly behold 
without a feeling of exquisite delight." 

11. The Ferry at Old Cairo, 71 



XVlll ILLUSTRATIONS. 

TO FACE PAGE 

12 The Pyeamids, .73 

At the right hand is the Great Pyramid, that of Cheops, irhich we ascended. The centre 
one is that of Cephrenes, on the upper portion of wliicli the smooth surface or casing yet remains. 
The one between the palm-trees is that of Mycerinus. The head of the Sphinx is barely Tisible, 
and appears like a spot, on the right hand below the small Pyi'amids. 

13. The Sphinx, 78 

This represents the object as seen near by, the spectator being in the hollow. The reader 
must remember this, or he will be apt to get a false idea of the relative size of the two objects, 
the Sphinx and the Pyramids. Tlie Sphinx, though so colossal, as may be seen by comparing 
with it the human figm-e near by, is yet notliing in comparison with the Pyramids. To obtain 
an idea of the relative masses, see the previous engraving. 

14. A Slave Boat at Girgeh, 99 

15. The Shadoof with the Date and Doum Palms, 101 

For a description of the mode of raising water by the Shadoof here represented, see page 91. 

16. A Map of the Plain of Thebes, 103 

« 

17. Valley of the Tombs of the Kings, 105 

18. The Hall of Beauty, 109 

This is a portion of what is called Belzoni's Tomb. 

19. The Plain of Thebes, Ill 

20. Colossal Statue of Eameses the G-reat, 112 

21. LuxoE FROM the Water, 115 

22. Obelisk and Propylon, Luxor, 116 

23. Approach to Karnak, 117 

24. The two Colossi, 119 

The nearest is the Mcmnoii. The engraving represents the Nile as overllowing the jilain. 
but when we were there the river was low and the iilain dry. 



ILLUSTRATIONS. xix 

TO FACE PAGE 

25. Meedinet Abou, 120 

26 Kaenak — Eetrospective View of the Grand Hall, . . . .121 

27. Karnak First Court, 122 

28. Kaenak G-rajstd Hall, 188 




Zlniira .^AV'v■<^ K* HtMffAMAJhitfJI-JIrwtiftMvm . 



^ntrnhirtinti. 



A PiLGElMAaE to Egypt and the Holy Land ! How many vivid pictures 
of the ancient time and the oldest world rise up before us in the thoughts 
of the first ; and how many sacred and long cherished associations spring 
to life at the simple mention of the name Palestine ! The cradle of man's 
civilization, and the birthplace of two and the only Divine religions ! 
We shall see the Land of Bondage and the Land of Promise ! Here the 
slaves became God's freemen, and the once polished and highly civilized 
people of the Pharaohs have here sunk into the bond-slaves of the Pashas ! 
Egypt, the birthplace of the great divine lawgiver, Moses ; the school of 
the greatest Greek philosopher, Plato ; the land of the first mysteries and 
miracles ; then, and now, and always the scene of that ceaseless wonder 
where heaven withholds his showers, and the faithful Nile supplies the 
lack of the skies. Egypt ! mysteries of priests ; short-lived triumphs of magic ; 
undying victory of Moses; emigration of the shepherd people; notwithstand- 
ing the horsemen, and chariots, and armies of Pharaoh ; the Eed Sea and 
the river ; the pyramids, and the dumb and dead hieroglyphics to which the 
genius and industry of the scholars of our own time have given the life and 
living tongue that they wanted during so many hoarse or silent ages — these 
all are before us, and beyond the desert lies the Promised Land ! 
1 



STAETING POINT. — ROME. 



ROME. 

January 22d, 1849. — Last evening, witli Mr. Minturn, I left Eome for 
Civit^ Veccliia, to meet the French steamboat for Naples. There we embark 
for Malta, our starting point for Egypt and Palestine. 

An -undertaking so fall of interest on account of the scenes where the 
chief events in the world's story transpired ; a pilgrimage which few devout 
readers of our Holy Books have not longed to accomplish, was nevertheless 
begun with some anxiety, and after very full dehberation. For myself, how 
much soever I desired, I should not have dreamed of attempting it alone, 
and very few persons would have satisfied me as companions on that journey ; 
or, at that time, have induced me to accompany them. It was hard to decide 
to leave my wife and daughter for an absence of some months at the least ; still 
harder to leave them at Rome, where there had been just apprehensions of 
great political troubles. But after full inquiry, and the counsel of friends 
who had the best chance of gaining and giving correct information, we found 
we could leave our families with a perfect assurance of their ordinary safety. 
For their comfort we took every precaution. 

But after all, our courage would have failed in the end, and our whole plan 
have been abandoned at the last moment, but for their disinterested expostu- 
lations. For my own part, my solicitude was such the day before leaving 
Eome, that had my dear wife or daughter expressed a single apprehension for 
themselves, or interposed a solitary objection to the enterprise, I should have 
given it up at once. But they generously forgot themselves, and thought 
only of the satisfaction I should derive from this journey to the East ; and 
instead of saying or looking any thing to dishearten me, they earnestly 
assured me not only of their wUlingness but of their anxiety that I should go, 
and with the utmost cheerfulness made the necessary preparations for my 
departure. 

I bade them farewell I — commending them to the God who saves, and who 



THE DILIGENCE AND THE EOBBEES. 3 

will ever lead and keep us in the riglit way, if in faith, and humility we follow 
His monitions. 

At the office of the diligence, so called by way of contrast no doubt, we 
found as usual in Italy, a great want of the quality expressed by the name. 
But " nothing lasts always ;" neither does delay. So at length we took places 
in the coupe^ or front house of this slow travelling village, and found to our 
comfort that we had our apartment to ourselves. Two other undiligent car- 
riages, well filled with a pilgrim population, made up our Italian caravan. We 
were not sorry to seem so strong, for come il solito, or according to old usage 
in Italy, there was talk of thieves between Eome and Civita Vecchia ; and, by 
the same custom, the sound was more substantial than the reality. But imagi- 
nation is very strong, and we did not feel the more secure because we were 
told of the highwaymen ; and the old traditions of Italy grouped themselves 
together, especially as our journey was in the night-time. We looked so 
forcible that we saw no robbers. We were however stopped once, and requested 
to alight and walk over a bridge, said to be unsafe for that cumbrous conglomera- 
tion of loaded apartments called a diligence. I have observed constantly, in 
Italy, a commendable watchfulness, and a precaution to avert accidents, which 
contrasts favorably with our national and hurried recklessness of the safety 
of limbs and life. 

Arriving very early in the morning, we refreshed ourselves at a very com- 
fortable hotel ; and, on rising, found that the steamboat from Marseilles had 
arrived the night before, and would sail at ten o'clock. This was very agree- 
able intelligence ; for the political troubles had so much interrupted the com- 
munications that we had some fear of being detained at CivitA Vecchia. As 
there is little here to interest the traveller, it would have been peculiarly tan- 
talizing to have been kept in suspense so near to Eome and our families, and 
yet be unable to visit them for fear of losing our passage. At the appointed 
hour we went on board the Leonidas, and secured the only state-room left 
vacant. She had her full complement of passengers in the principal cabin, 
and a good number in the second. Among these were two Franciscan monks, 
on their way to study Arabic in a monastery of their order upon Mount 



4 NAPLES. — BRITISH "POLICY. 

Lebanon. As they seemed to be amiable and intelligent men, I had a good 
deal of pleasant conversation with them, as far as my limited knowledge of 
Italian would permit. 

We passed Ostia, the ancient port of Eome, but at a considerable distance, 
and the weather being somewhat hazy, we could see but very little of it. The 
cupola of St. Peter's at Eome is said to be visible in clear weather from vessels 
sailing along the coast. When on the top of the dome, I could distinctly 
discover the Mediterranean ; and, of course, had the opportunity been favor- 
able, this majestic object might have been seen from the deck of our vessel. 
So ended the first day of our journey. 



NAPLES. 

23d — I rose early this morning and went on deck, in the hope of obtaining 
a good view of Vesuvius and the bay of Naples by sunrise ; bat, to my disap- 
pointment, I found that the land- was almost hidden from sight by heavy 
clouds and occasional showers. As we approached, however, the clouds began 
to lift up, and revealed to us the lines of houses in the city, and the white 
villas climbing up the sides of the surrounding hills. We sailed through the 
English fleet, lying majestically at anchor, and showing their formidable broad- 
sides to the people of Naples. As they are there for some purpose of intimi- 
dation or interposition, I should suppose they must be looked upon with no 
favorable eye. The policy, so utterly disapproved by all Americans, of one 
state interfering in the internal concerns of another, appears indeed to me to be 
a very mistaken one. It has certainly cost Great Britain immense sums of 
money, and loaded her with a debt which can never be paid off. Our national 
debt has been paid several times and will be paid again ; but hers can be wiped 
out only by some act of violence. But she is not alone. All the stronger 
nations of Europe have jDursued the same false and unjust policy, and the 
weaker states have been often obliged to relinquish their rights, and compelled 



THE BAY. — NEAPOLITAN DEGRADATION. 6 

to submit to measures which they utterly disapproved. Sometimes their 
destruction followed, as in the case of Poland ; but who is ignorant of her sad 
history ? Such subjects, however, are not within my province, and to discuss 
them properly is beyond my knowledge or capacity. 

From these reflections, then, I soon turned to the positive and the material 
around me. The clouds, though clearing away, had not yet disclosed the 
outline of the mountains, and as I wished first to know the position of Vesuvius, 
I asked one of the officers where it was. " There," said he, pointing it out, 
" do you not see how the smoke pours out?" Upon looking again, I discovered 
a heavy mass of what I had taken to be only clouds rolling away from the 
mountain, and could distinguish the volumes of black smoke and white 
vapour mingling with the ordinary clouds. Gradually the weather changed, 
the rain ceased, the clouds disappeared, the sun shone out, till Naples and its 
far-famed bay, stood revealed in all their beauty. A glorious sight indeed it 
was ; but I must not attempt to describe what has been so often and so beauti- 
fully depicted not only by the graphic power of language, but in the vivid 
delineations of the pencil. Hence every body is familiar with the beauties of 
Naples and the bay. I will only say that the reality did not fall below the 
anticipation ; and as to Vesuvius, after gazing upon it over and over again, 
during the whole day, we both came to the conclusion that no description had 
fully prepared us for so strong an impression of the grandeur of the burning 
mountain. It was in a state of great commotion, and had been very active 
for some weeks before. Sometimes, at night, the whole bay had been lighted 
up by its fires. In addition to what was visible to us, we were told that a 
stream of lava was then issuing from a new crater which had recently been 
formed in the opposite side of the mountain. 

The steamboat which was to take us from Naples to Malta not having yet 
arrived, we embraced the opportunity of going on shore to see something of 
the city, and to inquire after our friends. Naples and its people produced an 
exceedingly unfavorable impression upon us. From the little that we saw 
and much that we heard, we believe this city, with its noble position and deli- 
cious climate, to be almost a mass of moral corruption. How sad for human 



6 DETESTABLE DESPOTISM. 

nature, that wherever the physical blessings of heaven seem to be most lavishly- 
dispensed, there man becomes the most enervated, degraded, and polluted : 

" In florid beauty groves and fields appear, 
Man seems the only gro-wth that dwindles here." 

From the king and queen down to the lowest dregs of the people, unless 
they are most grossly traduced, there is no reverence for purity or truth, and 
hardly any appearance of outward restraint to protect them. We had not been 
on shore an hour before we were cautioned to put our pocket-handkerchiefs 
into a breast pocket, lest they should be stolen in open day. We were told 
that it was dangerous to go into any but the most public streets, lest we should 
be stabbed for our money or watches. The very appearance of the people was 
disgusting. Such raggedness and filth we had never seen before, and never so 
many human beings with an expression indicating violent and brutal passions. 
Then, as regards the relations between the government and the governed, they 
were the worst possible. The answer of a German resident in Naples to a 
friend of mine, some years ago, aptly describes the actual posture of affairs. 
The way being stopped by a column of soldiers, the American observed to the 
German banker, " I see you are well governed ;" the other significantly enough 
replied, " well guarded !" The king is almost universally hated, and in order 
to preserve his power, had, at our visit, 100,000 soldiers in the city ! Which- 
ever way you turned, in walking around or through Naples, you might see 
cannon pointed, ready to be discharged, should there happen the slightest 
tumult among the people. The American charged d'affaires told us that the 
government had sent a message requesting liim to caution all Americans to 
keep out of crowds, as the people would be fired upon at the first appearance 
of commotion. That this threat would be carried out was evident from the 
cruel and fearful massacre that had already taken place, when the myrmidons 
of this hateful despot destroyed in the streets so many of the defenceless people. 
Under these circumstances \ve felt rejoiced indeed that our families were not 
here. Such was our conviction of the state of insecurity in wliich atc found 



VESUVIUS. — FANTASTIC CHANGES. 7 

Naples, that we should never have dreamed of leaving them here as we had 
done at Eome. 

The expected steamboat came into the harbor in the afternoon, but so late 
that we could not leave before the nest morning. However, we went on board 
that evening, and found our quarters more comfortable in the Scamander than 
they had been in the Leonidas. The deck of the vessel afforded a fine position 
for a view of the mountain, aud we had hopes that we might see something of 
an eruption ; but we perceived only a lurid flame shooting up occasionally 
from the crater. A beautiful effect was produced by the lights which shone 
out strongly against the dark mass of the mountain side. Two of these were 
very large, and obviously in motion, descending the mountain slowly like balls 
of fire. We supposed them to be torches carried by parties returning from a 
visit to the crater. The appearance of the city by night, with ten thousand 
lights, was also very brilliant. 

After a quiet enjoyment of this beautiful scene we retired for the night, 
and thought upon those dear ones whom we had left so recently at Eome, and 
of others far away in our own beloved land, while petitions arose for their 
health and safety. 



NAPLES TO MESSINA. 

24:ih. — I was up before the sun, and as Vesuvius was the last object of atten- 
tion in the evening, so it was the first this morning. Volumes of smoke were 
still pouring out from the crater, and taking all manner of fantastic forms. 
For a few seconds nothing would appear but rolling folds of white vapor ; 
then, suddenly, a round mass or ball of intense blackness would seem to be 
thrust up by violence from the top of the mountain. Eising higher and higher, 
it would now take the form of an immense trunk of an old gnarled tree, with 
all its branches lopped off. Then again, expanding and swinging off, by the 
force of the wind, in a lateral direction, it would seem like some gigantic four- 
footed monster, ready to leap down from its lofty pedestal to the plains below. 



8 VESUVIUS.- — ^BAY OF BAIiE. 

At other times it would appear a moving giant, some cyelops escaping from his 
subterranean labors to breathe the fresh air and cool himself before returning 
to his workshop of thunderbolts. Thus might imagination create a thousand 
images out of the unshapen and ever-changing mass. 

But as the sun came up behind the mountain, the black smoke seemed to 
grow trasparent, and was tinged with the brightest hues of crimson, like some 
rich mantle fringed with gold. At last, whether from increasing familiarity with 
the scene or from the effect of light, the whole subsided into a simple moun- 
tain with a smoking crest. Still the interest remained ; for there, before me, 
was the outlet of that vast body of fire which has been burning for countless 
ages, and which finds its supply of fuel we know not how nor whence. It 
affords also to a thoughtful and devout observer another evidence of the power 
of Him, of whom it is said, if His mercy is as great as the heavens His wrath 
is like a consuming fire. Would that the fear of His wrath might terrify the 
profligate inhabitants of the city and country which lies around it into some 
respect for His laws, since His goodness, showered upon them in the richest 
abundance, in a delicious climate and a fertile soil, has not won them to grati- 
tude and obedience. 

At ten o'clock we had received quite an addition to our number of passen- 
gers. My acquaintances of yesterday, the two Franciscan friars, came on board 
with another and older brother of their order, who was on his way to Jeru- 
salem. The steamboat sailed out of the bay with calm, clear weather, and a 
bright warm sun shining over our heads. This gave life and animation to the 
city, and to the whole scene of circular hills and mountains studded with villas, 
so that we could realize and assent to all that is said in praise of their beauty. 
As the French admiral was at anchor in the bay of Baite, we were obliged to 
go round to communicate with him before sailing for Malta. But the delay 
was well compensated by the opportunity which we thus enjoyed of seeing 
this celebrated sheet of water, and of recalling all the associations connected 
with it. It would be impossible to pass this beautiful and famous spot without 
a recollection of some of those incidents in history which here transpired ; and 
the classical scholar will recall descriptive passages in the Latin poets, repre- 



CAPRI. — STROMBOLX. 9 

senting to the mind's eye scenes wliicli now became familiar to our physical 
sense : 

NuEus in orbe sinus Baiis prselucet amsenis. 

Here, too, we looked anxiously for a spot more interesting still to the 
Christian reader, Puteoli, the harbor where St. Paul landed, and remained seven 
days on his journey towards Eome. It is now called Pozzuoli, and is in the 
very midst of a cluster of places whose names are associated with the tomb of 
Virgil, the Cumsean sybil, and the Elysium and Avernus of the Latin poet. 

Leaving the bay of Baise, we sailed by the island of Capri, with its fantastic 
rocky outline. It looked beautifully, rising from the blue sea, and with its 
base surrounded by that purple haze which gives such a fine effect to Italian 
scenery. The day was most delightful, the air warm and soft, the sea almost 
quiet or just stirred by a gentle breeze. The Italian coast was rugged and bare 
indeed in appearance, for we were too far off to discover the vineyards and the 
olive grounds. Yet the glorious tints it wore under the combined influence of 
the sun and the haze, gave it a rich and picturesque appearance. Towards 
evening we were informed we should pass the island of Stromboli the next 
morning before daylight, and I retired early with the purpose of rising in 
time to see this remarkable volcano. 

25th. — Between four and five o'clock Stromboli was said to be in sight, 
and I instantly arose and went on deck. The weather was not very favorable, 
as it had been cloudy with some rain ; but we cotild plainly discover the large 
mass rising suddenly out of the sea. Its shape was that of a cone with a broad 
base ; or to use a familiar comparison, like an immense haycock. This volcano 
is in perpetual though not very violent commotion ; like other volcanoes it is 
said to be more agitated in stormy than in fair weather. Very often a lurid 
light is seen upon its summit, but we saw only an occasional flash, like faint 
heat-lightning. Stromboli being left in the rear, our next object of solicitude 
was to get sight of the Sicilian coast and the straits of Messina ; and if possible 
to see what gave rise to the reported fears of the ancient mariners in passing 
2 



10 SCTLiiA AND CHARYBDIS. 

Scylla and Charybdis. As we drew nigh tlie moutli of the straits we were all 
on the look out, but we entered without seeing any thing that would excite the - 
slightest apprehension at the present day. Opinions indeed are divided as to 
where the rock of Scylla was, and the awful whirlpool of Charybdis seems 
almost entirely to have disappeared. There is, indeed, a slight agitation of the 
waters, occasioned I believe by a current which passes through this narrow 
part of the straits, and during the prevalence of certain winds it is doubtless 
much increased ; but it never approaches such terrors as those would fancy 
who know it only through the descriptions of the ancient poets. 



Dextram Scylla latus, lasvum implacata Charybdis 
Obsidet, atque imo barathri ter gurgite vastos 
Sorbet in abruptum fluctus, rursusque sub auras 
Erigit alternos et sidera verberat unda. 
At Scyllani ctecis cohibet spelunca latebris, 
Ora exertautem, et naves in saxa trahentem. 

Or as Dryden translates the passage : 

Far on the right, her dogs foul Scylla hides : 
Charybdis roaring on the left presides ; 
And in her greedy whirlpool sucks the tides : 
Then spouts them from below ; with fury driven, 
The waves mount up and wash the face of heaven ; 
But Scylla from her den, with open jaws, 
The sinking vessel in her eddy draws, 
Then dashes on the rocks. 

The fact I suppose to be that men who were accustomed to coast along the 
shores of the tideless Mediterranean only, magnified the dangers of this narrow 
passage ; marked by a somewhat strong current on one side and a rocky shore 
upon the other. As it was, we came in sight of Messina without hearing the 
bark of the dogs of Scylla, or the roar of the whirlpool of Charybdis. 



HARBOR. — RUINS. 11 



MESSINA. 

Messina is beautifully situated at the base of a range of lofty bills, and 
possesses a remarkable and very secure harbor. This harbor is protected by a 
projecting point of land, which together with the main shore forms almost a 
circle, with the exception of a space sufficiently wide for vessels to enter. 
From the surrounding hills it presents nearly the shape of a sickle. In the 
bosom of this secure and spacious bay ships of any tonnage may ride at anchor 
in perfect safety. We passed a large steamship of war and a French line-of- 
battle ship. The first thing that struck us was the ruinous condition of the 
forts upon the point of land which forms the harbor. Upon looking towards 
the city, however, we soon discovered that it was even in a worse condition ; 
not only were the forts upon the heights very much battered, but a large 
number of the houses were almost totally destroyed. A. line of very handsome 
buildings on the shore was undergoing repair, but the marks of the destructive 
cannonading they had been exposed to were very visible. Many holes made 
by the shot, large masses of the walls thrown down, and roofs broken up, 
clearly showed how much they had suffered. The steamboat haAdng to remain 
two hours, we went on shore. Our passports had been left behind, through 
the negligence of the commissary of the boat at Naples, and we were therefore 
obliged to go to the consul's office to obtain new ones ; here we met the captain 
of an American ship loading with fruit for Philadelphia. Messina is one of 
the chief ports for lemons and oranges ; they are raised in large quantities 
around the city and upon the opposite coast of Italy. As we expressed a 
desire to see one of the establishments where they are received and packed, 
the captain politely offisred to accompany us, and took us to the warehouse 
of some merchants who are very largely engaged in this business. We were 
received with every attention, and one of the young partners waited upon us 
through the whole establishment. We went first to the place where the boxes 
are prepared ; these are made of thin strips of wood nailed to three thick 



12 LEMON AND ORANGE TEADE. 

pieces whicli form the two ends and a centre, dividing the boxes into two com- 
partments. The thin strips are brought ready sawed from Trieste, and the 
solid pieces from the country round. These boxes, before they are put toge- 
ther, are packed in bundles and sent to the orange plantations in the country ; 
there the boxes are nailed together and filled with the oranges wrapped in 
paper brought from Naples ; in this state the fruit is sent to the establishment 
in the city ; the boxes are then opened, and each orange is taken out of the 
paper and examined by a woman ; if defective it is cast aside, if perfect it is 
restored to the paper and put into a pile, where a man stands ready to pack 
the boxes again. The fruit is carefully placed in layers, each box containing a 
certain number, with some allowance for the difference in size. The orange 
boxes are now marked and are ready for exportation. 

The lemons are not brought from the country in boxes but in bags and 
hampers, and put into large piles in the warehouse ; here again a number of 
women are occupied in examining the fruit ; the perfect ones are then packed 
first like the oranges, but the defective are sent in baskets to another establish- 
ment for the purpose of making lemon juice and essence of lemon for exporta- 
tion. The process is this : a number of men sit around the pile of lemons, and 
with knives cut off the outer peel of the lemon, so as to take nearly the whole 
of it, leaving only the pulp ; this is put under a screw-press, the juice extracted, 
boiled to purify it, and bottled for exportation. The lemon peel is transferred 
in baskets to another -set of men, who with large sponges in one hand obtain 
the essential oil of the rind by pressing the pieces hard upon it with the other. 
The sponges are now and then squeezed into bowls and the liquid is essence 
of lemon. 

After looking through this establishment our new acquaintance offered to 
conduct us to the place where the city had suffered most from the bombard- 
ment of the Neapolitans. I ought to have mentioned that the ruinous state of 
Messina and its forts and houses was occasioned by a bombardment which lasted 
almost a year. The Neapolitans had possession of the forts on the harbor, 
and had their ships at anchor in it. The people of Messina aud other Sicilians 
held the town and the fortress above. Thus, for twelve months, they cai-ried 



BOMBARDMENT OF MESSINA. 13 

on this fratricidal war ; the Sicilians contending for a constitution and their 
civil liberties, the king striving to maintain his hateful despotism by a cruel 
warfare against his own subjects. "When we reached the interior of the town, 
and the spot where the hottest of the fight had raged, the scene was appalling 
indeed ; whole streets were in ruins, and one very large and magnificent church 
which we passed had been destroyed, a portion of the walls only remaining. We 
went into the cathedral, and though this edifice had shared a better fate it had 
not escaped altogether; for a portion of the exterior had been injured, and we 
could plainly see where the cannon-balls had pierced the door in a number of 
places ; but the beautiful altar, formed of the richest marbles, had passed 
through the fiery ordeal uninjured. Here, for the first time, I saw amongst 
the stones and marbles used for decorating the interior of churches, what we 
call, in common language, gold stone ; a rich brown stone full of brilliant specks 
like gold. I had before seen it used for breastpins, in small quantities^ only, 
but in this superb altar it glistened in profusion. 



ETNA. 



Having thus obtained a general idea of the town under the guidance of our 
new acquaintance, we embarked again and made our way out of the port, 
admiring once more the beautiful position of the city and the excellence of its 
harbor. Etna now called for our notice ; and we were all anxious to see this 
grand object whose name had been familiar to us from childhood. "We soon 
discovered its snow-crowned crest, and the evidence of its volcanic character 
in the vaporous smoke that was issuing from its summit. We were in sight of 
it and coasted along its base all the rest of the day ; its general form has been 
made so familiar to the eye of every reader by frequent engravings that it is 
needless to describe it ; it is much loftier and covers a far larger space than 
Vesuvius, but it did not impress us so much with its majesty. However, 
Vesuvius was the first volcano that we had seen, and was in a state of far 
greater activity. Etna seemed to lie in majestic repose, giving evidence of hfe 



14 SICILIAJSr SUNSET. 

by a gentle breathing only, while Vesuvius seemed ready to burst forth in 
some agonizing exertion, and to be restraining his fearful energies under some 
awful external influence. Thus have we seen, within twenty-four hours, three 
of the most famous volcanoes, and those best known to history. As the sun 
was about to set we were still in sight of Etna, and the immense mass rising 
up against the dark blue sky formed the principal feature in a sunset scene, 
which in richness of color exceeded any thing I have ever witnessed. As we 
looked from the deck of our vessel, the sun, ready to disappear behind the 
distant land, looked out from a canopy of gold and purple clouds. In this 
respect the light was not more beautiful than I have often seen in America ; 
but stretching along from this canopy, on the left, the sky wore the most exqui- 
site tint of orange, and green, and blue fading one into the other, and shedding 
upon the land a rich warm color that no language can describe. On the right 
was Etna, his summit of snow tinged with the rays of the setting sun, and 
deepening from the top to his base in varying colors of orange and purple 
till it met the water in a dark mass of vapor. There was too throughout the 
atmosphere a haziness which, while it obscured nothing, gave a softness to 
every outline of the land, and seenied to farnish a medium by which all was 
blended into one consistent mass of varied yet harmonized coloring. This 
glorious scene faded away into night, and we began to think and speak of our 
expected arrival at Malta the next morning by daylight. 



MALTA. 

26<7i. — "When I went upon deck Malta was in sight, and, rapidly approach- 
ing it, we entered the noble harbor at eight o'clock. If we were struck with the 
convenience and the safety of the harbor of Messina, it is not too strong an 
expression to say that we were in perfect admiration with this of Malta. The 
island itself is a mass of rock in the midst of the sea, with two smaller com- 
panions at no great distance. These however are of little importance, though 
Goza derives an interest from the supposition that it may be the fabled island 



FORTIFICATIONS. — HEALTH-OFFICER. • 15 

of Calypso. Malta is tlie key to the Mediterranean. The harbor is com- 
pletely land-locked, and the water at the entrance and within is deep enough 
for ships of any burden. Its fortifications are impregnable, or at least they 
seemed so to us ; they crown every point of rock and surround the city in line 
after line, so that an attack upon Valetta, either by sea or by land, supposing an 
army could be landed upon some other point of the island, would be utterly 
hopeless. As soon as we anchored we saw the first evidence of our approach 
to a land in the vicinity of the dreaded plague. The quarantine laws are 
extremely rigid here ; the health-ofiicer approached in a boat, and when the 
necessary ship-papers were handed to him, he received them with a pair of 
brass tongs, fumigated them over a chafing-dish, and then with another pair, 
holding one in each hand, he opened and read the papers. Finding the proper 
evidence of our having left a perfectly healthy port, he dispensed with his 
tongs, took the papers in his hands, and gave us permission to commvinicate 
with the shore. Immediately a fleet of gaily painted boats with high prows, 
which had hitherto kept at a distance, crowded around our gangway, filled with 
boatmen, agents for the different hotels, valets-.de-place, all calling out to us 
and striving together to attract our notice. We made our selection and got 
into a boat with a civil and active valet-de-place, who continued with us during 
our short stay at Malta. 

We had no sooner landed than we found we had taken our first step in 
Eastern travel. The Arabic language, with its numerous gutturals, so different 
from the soft dialect we had just left behind us in Italy, was spoken all around 
us ; and in most of the people there was quite a different cast of countenance, 
and one that clearly pointed to an eastern origin. As we walked through the 
streets to our hotel, the whole aspect of things appeared to be changed ; instead 
of the disgusting filth and noxious smells to which we had almost become 
accustomed in the streets and the houses of Italy, we found a remarkable and 
refreshing cleanliness. English influence had produced this desirable result ; 
aided indeed in a good measure by the character of the streets, Avhich are 
singularly precipitous. You mount by steps from the water side, and through- 
out the city you find many of the streets terminated by long flights of stone 



16 VALETTA. — MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 

stairs. The rocky character of the point on which Valetta is situated, rendered 
this necessary ; the whole town is built of stone of a beautiful yellow or cream 
color. Brick, I believe, is not at all used ; at least I do not recollect having seen 
one on the island ; but the stone is quarried here in great abundance ; when 
first taken from its bed it is so soft as to be easily cut into shape by an edge 
tool, and it becomes hard by exposure to the air. The architecture of the 
houses is simple and in good taste ; one peculiarity is that every house seems 
to have a covered projecting stone balcony, which can be inclosed with glass or 
blinds. These balconies contain from six to ten or twelve persons, and are a 
favorite resort of the inhabitants, for they can sit here and enjoy the sun in 
winter and the cool breeze in summer, and at both seasons gaze upon the throng 
passing by. The streets were well filled with a lively mingled crowd ; English 
soldiers and officers in their red uniforms, sober citizens, many of them English, 
in their ordinary dress, occasionally Greeks and Turks ; and most remarkable 
of all, the women of the island with their peculiar mantle over the head and 
held under the chin. This mantle consists of black silk, oblong in shape, and 
gathered into folds on one side of the oblong ; it is thrown over the head with 
the gathered part on one side of the face, and is not very comely or picturesque. 
It seemed something like a silk apron without strings, thrown over the head to 
answer a momentary purpose for want of another covering. At the hotel we 
got a good plain English breakfast of excellent tea, bread, butter, and eggs, 
which we enjoyed exceedingly after the fare to which we had been restricted 
on board the steamboat. Finding that the vessel which was to take us to 
Alexandria had not yet arrived, we determined to see all that we could of this 
interesting little island. It is the chief stopping-place on the great Mediterra- 
nean highway between Europe and the East, and Avould seem, since the intro- 
duction of steam navigation, to be of far greater importance to England than 
even Gibraltar. National pride would probably never submit to a peaceful 
relinquishment of the invincible rock to the kingdom of Spain, to which it so 
naturally belongs ; but if the British crown were constrained to part with 
either, it would be the latter rather than ]\Ialta. Indeed nothing can be more 
favorable as a naval d^pot and stopping-place than Malta with its spacious and 



ST. PAUL'S BAY. 17 

safe harbors. The French, once possessed this island ; Napoleon, in his early 
career, when on his expedition to the East, having wrested it in 1798 from the 
feeble grasp of the Knights of Malta. But in 1800, after a severe blockade and 
a persevering and courageous defence on the part of the French garrison, who 
were reduced to absolute starvation, it was captured by the English, who have 
since held a possession which they will never give up while their flag can float 
upon the Mediterranean. 

From the American consul, Mr. Winthrop, we received immediate and 
constant attention, and all the information and assistance we needed, as well as 
a hospitable reception into his family circle. ' A week or more could have been 
passed here agreeably and profitably, as there are many objects of interest to 
be seen connected with the history of the once famous but now almost forgotten 
order of Christian warriors, whose home and seat of power was for so many 
years established in this island. We were anxious, however, to push on to our 
great destination. Having made all needful preparations for our expedition, 
our curiosity drew us to employ our remaining time in visiting points remark- 
able for traditions connected with the great Apostle of the Gentiles. One of 
the most interesting features in the history and the natural scenery of Malta is 
St. Paul's Bay. The constant tradition in Malta points to the bay called by 
his name, as the place where the Apostle was shipwrecked. It is three miles 
long and two wide at the entrance ; the beach is sandy, and differs from the 
coast around the harbor, which is rough and rocky. A small island, called 
Selmone, on the north-west, is separated from Malta by a narrow strait. A 
tower and fortifications raised by the Knights of Malta defend the bay ; a 
small chapel, built on the supposed spot where the barbarians kindled a fire, 
contains old drawings illustrating the landing of St. Paul. 

A small island in the Adriatic sea named Meleda was once, as well as 
this island, called Melita ; and some have thought the former was the scene of 
the shipwreck ; many arguments are adduced on both sides. In the 27th verse 
of Acts xxvii, it is said, " We were driven up and down in Adria." But this 
word anciently included the whole sea between Greece, Italy, and Africa, and 
therefore does not mean the Adriatic alone. The little island of Meleda is 



18 MALTA. — MELITA. 

nearer to the moutli of tlie Adriatic than any other in that sea, and might 
receive the wreck of a vessel driven from Crete, by a S. E. wind ; but this 
would be taking it for granted that the word Eurodydon (v. 14), which occurs no- 
where else, either in the New Testament or the classics, means a S. E. wind. 
But it is much more probable that it means a hurricane^ without reference to 
the 'point from which it blows. Another objection against Malta, as the scene 
of the shipwreck, is derived from the civihzation of the island, spoken of by 
Cicero, and which seems to disagree with the expression " the barbarous 
people," (xxviii : 2). But it is well known that the Greeks and Romans applied 
the epithet barbarian to all strangers and foreigners. Again, Phny says there 
are no serpents in Malta ; but snakes have been found there sis feet in length ; 
and it is to be noticed that the " barbarous people " seemed surprised that the 
reptile fastened itself upon the hand of Paul. Another objection is derived 
from the disease of Publius ; but one case of such an affliction might occur 
even in a dry, rocky, and healthy island like Malta. 

On the whole, when we remember the course which the Apostle and his 
company took from Malta to Syracuse, and thence to Rhegium, it will be diffi- 
cult to reconcile it with any other situation than that of this island ; and when 
the tradition of this event is remembered by the natives from time immemorial, 
there can be little reason to doubt that the common opinion is correct, which 
assigns this as the island where the Apostle was shipwrecked. 



MALTA TO ALEXANDEIA. 

Steamboat Lycurge, on the Mediterranean, within a day's sail of Alesandi'ia, 
January Slsi. — "We left the harbor of Malta on Saturday afternoon, the 27th. 
Our accommodations are good, and our fellow passengers very agreeable. We 
have Mr. and Mrs. Crosby of New-York, with her mother, several gentlemen 
and ladies from England, an elderly Polish count, travelling with his adopted 
daughter, a French consul going to Cairo, and several others. A portion of 
these travellers, the Crosbys, the count, and some of the English wish to go up 



FELLOW-PASSENGEBS. — A PORTLY MONK. 19 

the Nile, and if a steamboat can be procured at Cairo we shall probably 
form one party. But all this is very uncertain, as we learn there is great 
difficulty in procuring a steamboat, and without this we shall hardly attempt 
the enterprise by the ordinary slow method. The boat we are in is inferior in 
speed, or we should have reached Alexandria ere this. The time passed as 
usual on board the boat ; at dinner, on the iirst day, we became acquainted 
with our fellow-passengers and with the officers of the vessel. Our social 
relations are pleasant, as we converse, give and receive information, lend books 
and the other usual et ceteras ; the dinner hour is half-past five, and the style 
French. Of the latter, the English are of course heartily tired ; and as to the 
French breakfasts, with their multitudes of dishes and wine, we can hardly 
endure them, but submit with the best grace in our power. We shall be right 
glad to get simple English fare again, and especially a good breakfast of tea, 
coffee, bread and butter, and eggs. 

I have before spoken of two intelligent and agreeable monks. I must here 
introduce one of a different character, and who certainly would not belie 
Chaucer's description ; for 

" He was not pale as a forpined gost ; 
His bed was balled, and shone as any glas ; 
And eke his face, as it hadde ben anoint ; 
He was a lord ftil fat, and in good point : 
His eyen stepe, and roUing in his bed." 

After dinner he would appear on deck, rosy and portly, and smoothing himself 
down complacently, exclaim, " Buono, buono !" He was bound for Mount 
Lebanon ; for what purpose I cannot tell, but certainly not to preach or teach, 
for of that there was no shadow in him ; and certainly not to learn, for he was 
plainly past age and inclination. His sole business seemed to be to dispense a 
couple of superstitious papers, and to receive small gratuities from those who 
chose to bestow such alms ! How much the edification of the faithful would 
be advanced by his labors, will appear from a translation of two of the printed 



20 SUPERSTITIOUS LEGEND. 

papers wMcli lie bestowed upon me ; tliey are declared to be issued with the 
"license of the superiors," and the fat, stupid monk seems to have had no 
suspicion in regard to their authenticity. That such wares can find a market, 
speaks suEElciently as to the state of some classes in the south of Italy. Here 
is a literal translation of these precious documents : — ■ 

" " A copy of the Narrative which was found in the Holy Sepulchre of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. — Saint Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary, and St. Bridget having 
prayed diligently to our Lord, desiring to know the extreme pains of his most 
Holy Passion, in his divine goodness, he spake thus to them : ' Know, dearest 
sisters, that the soldiers who took me were 161, besides 33 other oflB.cers; those 
that boimd me were 12, and they gave me 33 blows on the head, and while I was 
in prison they gave me 100 more, and two severe thrusts. I fell to .the earth 
7 times. They followed me to the house of Annas with 190 stripes. They gave 
me 18 blows upon the shoulders to make me rise from the earth. I was drawn 
upon the ground by a cord, and by the hair of my head 70 times. There 
escaped from my breast 161 sighs ; and I was dragged by the beard 30 times. 
They gave me at the pillar where I was scourged 6666 blows, and spat in my 
face 121 times. They gave me a deadly thrust and threw me to the earth with 
the cross upon my shoulders, and with the cross itself gave me 3 frightful 
blows. The drops of blood which fell from my body were 30660.' " 

This admirable and instructive document then goes on to promise " to all 
persons who, during 12 years, shall say every day seven Paters and Aves, until 
they shall have accomplished the number of the drops of blood shed," (the 
arithmetic is admirably correct, and one cannot help thinking of the miraculoirs 
coincidence ; e. g. 

365 
Paters, daily, ...... 7 



Annual number, ..... 2555 

Years, ....... 12 



Total exact number of drops of blood, and Paters performed, 30,660 
I should observe, however, that the 29th of February seems improvided for.) 



FIRST SIGHT OF EGYPT. 21 

— " and who live in the holy fear of God, there shall be granted the following 
graces : viz., plenary indulgence and the remission of their sins, and although 
they shall die before the devotion is done, yet it shall be the same as if they 
had finished. Living like Christians and saying daily the aforesaid seven Paters 
and Aves, they shall escape from the devil, and shall die an easy death. Child- 
birth shall be without danger ; and in whatever hour these instructions are 
followed, there shall be no evil dreams nor other frightful things. Finally, the 
faithful who thus pray shall be aided in the hour of death by the intercession of 
the most holy Virgin Mother of God." The other paper refers to seventeen 
sacred and remarkable places in Jerusalem, which have already been spoken 
of in the " Pathways and Abiding Places of our Lord." But the translation 
of one such document may be sufiicient both for the faithful and the un- 
faithful. 

On Sunday morning I rose very early, and found the weather pleasant and 
sufficiently warm for comfort. As there were several English persons and six 
Americans on board, I proposed to celebrate the morning service, if the captain 
would allow us the use of the cabin ; this was readily granted, and the morning 
prayer was attended by all who understood English. 

February \st. — -A high wind, not positively a gale, came up about ten last 
night, and the rolling and pitching of the vessel surpassed any thing I had felt 
in crossing the Atlantic. I was roused from my half-slumber by the rushing 
of a sea into the cabin, which wet one-half of it, leaving me, however, still a dry 
floor. I was up before the sun, which rose pale as the moon, shining but 
dimly through a bank of vapor upon the horizon. A very heavy sea was still 
running ; but now the sky is clear and the sun shines brightly. We hoped to 
reach Alexandria ere this, but have now lost something by the storm. How- 
ever, after a long and not very comfortable passage, we came in sight of the 
shores of Egypt, still but dimly visible through the haze which hung over the 
land. The water began to change its color as we came upon soundings, and 
from the dark deep blue of the Mediterranean, it assumed a beautiful light blue 
tint, as if it were a mass of pure molten sky. As there is no mountain, nor 
even a high hill within a long distance, the coast is not seen until you are 



22 HAEBOE OF ALEXANDEIA. — TUEKISH FLEET. 

almost upon it. As the steamboat drew near we discovered the hghthouse, 
which appeared like an obelisk ; but this was an illusion of fancy, for on a still 
nearer view we found it to be only a tall round tower. Next, the masts of 
the shipping in the harbor stood out like a naked forest ; and at last we saw 
the crowd of windmills for which the point of the harbor as you approach on 
the right is famous. As the wind blew freshly, the arms of the mills were in 
violent commotion. Some fifty or more mills, standing so near together that 
their sails appeared ready to clash, with their arms dashing around at the height 
of their speed, might well produce upon an imagination less excited than that 
of Don Quixote, the impression of a fierce army of contending giants. Nearer 
the harbor there was another large army of windmills, but these were at rest, 
as if tired, while their associates had just started with vigor upon their spell of 
work. As we approached this shore we could plainly see several Arab villages, 
which seemed to us like square piles of unburnt brick, arranged in parallel 
lines. The absence of trees, or even of a single blade of grass, gave them a 
very comfortless aspect ; and, unsheltered as they are, they must be oppressively 
hot in summer ; however, they are finely situated to enjoy the sea breeze. 
The opposite point of the harbor is crowned with the lighthouse and the exten- 
sive buildings of Mohammed All's harem. The Turkish ships of war, lying 
at anchor, now loomed up at a distance, making a show which a nearer approach 
to them disappointed. Only one seventy -four appeared to be in tolerable order; 
and exhibited her full broadside ; the others were in a dismantled state and 
showed but few guns ; in all the chains, however, a number of Turks were 
sitting and lying in the sun, wrapped in grey cloaks or blankets and smoking 
their pipes. ■ This, with our ideas of the discipline of a ship of war was strange 
enough ; but the whole day, from its dawn to its close, was to us one of strange 
sights, often described, indeed, but still impressing us with the effect of novelty. 
The Turkish flag was flying from the ships, consisting of a red ground with a 
crescent and a star in the centre. Miss Martineau has called it the handsomest 
flag in the world, and yet the glorious Christian banner of her own country, 
with its cross of varied color, was probably floating near, as it now is. I could 
not but wonder at her taste, leaving out of view the influence which an cxcus- 



NATIONAL BANNEES. — ARAB SERVILITY. 23 

able religious or patriotic prejudice might have upon it. For my own part, 
while the stars and stripes are to me a sight which in a foreign land always 
fills my heart with delight and patriotic pride, I think the English flag, as a 
national banner, lifting up the Cross on high, is the most beautiful in the world. 
When we add to this the power of association which, to a Christian mind, 
makes the crescent the lively emblem of a false faith, while the once despised 
and accui'sed tree has now become illustrious as the banner of immortal life, 
it seems impossible that a believer should for a moment exalt the waning glory 
of the crescent above the rising splendor of the Cross. Since it was borne by 
the despised Galilean, it has ever been the true honor of his followers to be 
Crusaders or bearers of the Cross. 

When we came to anchor in the harbor we were immediately surrounded 
by boats rowed by men of all colors save white, and dressed some in the 
Greek and some in the Turkish costume ; calling out to us in guttural Arabic 
and broken English and Italian to take passage with them. We selected one 
of them and put our carpet-bags, which constituted all our luggage, into it and 
started for the shore. But here a sample of the ways and manners of the people 
of the land presented itself before we reached the shore, for the men stopped 
rowing, and making an exorbitant charge, demanded their pay. We had been 
forewarned on this point, and turning round upon them we ordered them in the 
most peremptory manner to " give way" or bend to their oars instantly ; nor 
was this all, for I lifted up my umbrella, the only weapon we had between us, 
as if I would enforce the order with a blow. Instead of rebelhng at this and 
perhaps turning back and making us get out of the boat, or tossing us over- 
board as our own Whitehall bargemen would have been inclined to do, they 
sunk down at once and most submissively, on their seats, and rowed with 
unflinching energy till they landed us upon the shore, and there gratefully 
accepted one-third of the sum which they had attempted to extort from us by 
threats a few moments before. They had avoided making a direct bargain 
with us before starting, intending if possible to extort something from our fears. 
No doubt they sometimes succeed with inexperienced travellers, but the mo- 
ment they discovered we were resolute, they gave up the vain attempt ; parley- 



24 SCENES AT LANDING. 

ing, however, is laseless, an exliibition of force alone is effective ; for these people 
have grown up in the habits of the crouching slaves of despotism, and if you 
speak to them kindly and treat them with gentleness, they interpret it as a 
proof of your weakness and grow insolent ; while from the force of habit they 
crouch and yield respectfully to the strong argument of threats enforced by 
blows. Another new scene and a fresh annoyance met us as we landed ; 
multitudes of men and women with camels and baskets, and innumerable bare- 
legged Arab boys leading donkeys, beset us on all sides and vociferated in a 
jargon of tongues, a perfect Babel of languages, that we should employ them 
or hire their animals. By repeating the same exercise of energy and firmness 
which we had just displayed in the boat, we succeeded in keeping our luggage 
together, and at length transferred it to the care of the nearest and most decent- 
looking person, who happened to be a young woman with a basket nearly as large 
as those used by the bakers in New-York. Our carpet-bags and cloaks, with 
those of a fellow-passenger, were all put into it, when the woman with a little 
help put the whole mass upon her head and walked off with it nearly a mile, 
without stopping, and tripping along as straight and as lightly as if she had 
nothing to carry. We rejected all the bare-legged boys and their donkeys and 
walked on through the Turkish quarter of the town. This consists of narrow, 
unpaved streets, with flat-roofed stone houses, the doors and windows, where 
there were any, being all open, and in and around every door were crowded 
apparently the whole population ; men at their trades or smoking pipes, and 
women with their faces, all save the eyes and sometimes with only one eye, peep- 
ing out from the folds of the yaslimdh. However, the glimpses which we caught 
did not reveal to us any surpassing beauty. There are also multitudes of 
squalid children, but these seemed the most natural of all ; for they were play- 
ing and gamboling like all children in all places. We encountered all the way 
camels with their outstretched necks carrying all sorts of burdens ; sometimes 
they were single and sometimes they strode by in lines of three or foiu-, the 
head of the second being haltered to the tail of the foremost, and thus they 
move along and seem to do the greater^ part of the work of this description. 
The people ride from place to place upon donkeys, as we saw but few carts and 



n 

C( 
C( 



MODERN Alexandria' 



PILLAR OF 0I0CLETI» 



EUNOSTIIS 



O' L. D PORT. 



I- A (\! D 



OF PHAR.05. 



— NEW POR.T. 



B fLU C HION ^,t 



V-<.) 




R /E O 



''W^MJ!!!^-. 




.W^ 



i - . M £0 e ' 1 r ST 



I Tan Ip2c tfr* StTitpu . tsith Jtiidoiaiti tbUattn 
in Pai, <ice ef tfm FuUnuei 



I L?^ii,-l .if ttttairhuihu (lU'B I'.'.v 
TrmjrU \Bf 




IfiNT ALEXANDRIA 
:■, '2= ;:00 llmadway.Hew Yui 



CONTRAST OF CUSTOMS. 25 

carriages. Thus nearly all the merchandise and the timber and other materials 
for building are carried up on the backs of camels. But netwithstanding the 
lack of carriages there was certainly one rara avis at least in the shape of an 
omnibus, which looked most strangely out of place ; European as it was, how- 
ever, it could not help assuming something of an Eastern character, for a bare- 
legged Arab ran before it and cracked a whip to make way for it among the 
crowds. In other cases where there was a carriage we saw the same indispen- 
sable outrunner. On emerging from the Turkish town we came to the Frank 
quarter as it is called, which is a fine open space surrounded by large buildings 
occupied by the foreign consuls and by the principal hotels. We were domi- 
ciled at the Hotel de I'Orient, and found it in most respects quite comfortable. 
The day was principally passed in getting information and in arranging for 
our departure to-morrow in a steamboat for Cairo. The evening was spent at 
the American consul's, Mr. Todd's, where we found a small musical party and 
had some pianoforte-playing with flute accompaniment, and some Italian songs 
and duets by an English lady and Mr. Todd, who is a Scotchman. It was very 
singular, after going about all day in a city where every thing was new to us, 
and like what we had read about but never seen, to spend the evening in a 
party like those we had been accustomed to all oiu' lives. Scarcely any con- 
trast could be more striking than that between the sights offered in the streets 
of Alexandria and the customs of a European drawing-room. 



Ikxankrc. 

We are now, then, in Alexandria ! How many visions of the past, how 
many associations, what memories rise up at the mention of that name ! The 
conqueror of the world before Christianity was in it, has been declared by a 
conqueror in our own time to be greater in this than in his victories ; that he 

4 



26 THOUGHTS ON ALEXANDRIA. 

built here the city whidi should bear his own name, on the borders of three 
worlds, Europe, Asia, and Africa, on the banks of the Nile, on the future great 
highway of commerce, at the only haven on the African coast for 1500 miles, 
from Tunis or Carthage, and in the kingdom which is for ever associated with 
ancient civilization, science, and art ! Alexander the Great built Alexandria 
more than three centuries before the Christian era, the most modern of all the 
cities of Egypt, and yet boasting of an antiquity equal to more than one-third 
of the world's own age ! The headlong heathen warrior and the presumptuous 
son of Jupiter Ammon could yet pause long enough in his mad career to do 
something besides overrunning the world and pulling down the works of other 
men, to build a famous city of his own, and thus leave upon the banks of the 
Nile the brightest and the only enduring monument to his fame. 

Alexandria ! how many thoughts are embodied in the reality signified by a 
word ! The mysteries of ancient Egypt, the shadowy learning of half-fabulous 
sages, the labyrinthine magic of those dim and unearthly passages, the mystical 
schools of an almost mythical priesthood, the doubtful science of forgotten ages, 
the stammering cradle of infant learning, the birthplace of wisdom, the honey 
of all times and peoples, first heaped and hoarded up in libraries, the translation 
of the sublime, inspired and isolated strains of Palestine, out of the solitary and 
majestic Hebrew into the universal and mellifluous tongue of the light-hearted 
Greek, the preaching of a newer covenant by St. Peter, and the episcopate of 
the evangehst St. Mark. Alexandria ! the saddened mother of a world-famed 
heresy, and the seat of the sainted Athanasius, that valiant bishop for Christ ; 
the present overthrow of Christianity and the insolent triumph of a false faith, 
planted by the sabre and watered by blood ; the fabulous splendors of the 
Caliphate and the romance of oriental story ; the fierce flame of the forced 
civilization of our own times in the gigantic enterprises of a self-willed tyrant, 
and the tears and agonizing throes of a desolated land and a despairing popu- 
lation ; — these and ten thousand unspoken thoughts rise up like visions at the 
names of Alexandria and Egypt. 

Let us now pause for a moment on the threshold of this famous city, and at 
the gate of Egypt contemplate thoughtfully the great historical picture. Here, 



FOUNDATION OF ALEXANDRIA. 27 

then, stood that renowned city of the East, which in her golden age numbered 
three hundred thousand free- inhabitants, and an equal number of slaves. Now 
scarcely sixty thousand submit like one man to the will of a single and brutal 
despot. It is a melancholy thought that in an age of boasted progress we can 
stand amid the ruins of so many past glories, and evoking the melancholy ghosts 
of so many ancient cities, exclaim of them, alas ! 

Venit summa dies, et ineluctabile tempus. 

In the eloquent language of that heathen traveller who vainly endeavored to 
console the Eoman orator with the best but melancholy comfort aiforded by a 
pagan religion, as yet unblessed with the light of life and immortality, which 
may be thus freely given : — " As I returned from Asia, and was sailing from 
^gina towards Megara, I began to look upon the prospect around me. Behind 
me was JEgina, before me Megara, the Piraeus on the right hand and Corinth 
on the left. What cities! once how flourishing, now overthrown and destroyed! 
Alas ! I exclaimed to myself, we little men are filled with grief if one of us 
dies or perishes ! But our brief life should be yet shorter, when from one spot 
we can see the corpses of so many dead cities !" * 

The foundation of Alexandria, which to us of the present day has a suffi- 
ciently modern sound, nevertheless goes far enough back into antiquity to 
invest it with the poetical veil of a fable ; for the inhabitants, who once knew 
more of Alexandria than our modern Egyptians are likely ever to know of the 
Macedonian hero, whom they call Iskander, declared it to have been founded 
in consequence of a dream of the king, in which a venerable sage appeared to 
pronounce to him some lines out of his favorite poet ; upon which Alexander 

* Ex Asia rediene, cum ab ^ginS, Megaram versus navigarem, ciepi regiones eircumcirca prospi- 
cere. Post me erat ^gina, ante Megara, dextra Pireeus, sinistra Corintlius ; quaj oppida quodam tem- 
pore florentissima fuerunt, nunc prostrata et dii'uta ante oculos jacent. Caepi egomet mecum sic cogitaie ! 
Hem 1 nos homunculi indignamur, si quis nostrtei interiit, aut occisus est, quorum vita brevior esse debet, 
cum uno loco tot oppidilm cadavera projecta jaceant. — (Ser. Sulpicius M. T. Cicerom. Cic. Epist. Lib. 
IV. 5). 



28 FOUNDATION OF ALEXANDRIA. — LIBEABY. 

repairing to the spot declared Homer to be a good architect as well as a great 
poet, and instantly commenced the foundation of the city which perpetuates 
and illustrates his name. Augurs, omens, and birds were no more wanting 
than at the foundation of Eome ; but the soothsayers having twisted all the 
bad omens into good auguries, the king ordered the work to go on while he 
crossed the desert to pay a visit to his celestial progenitor in the temple of 
Jupiter Ammon. It was a cunning device on the part of the king to make old 
Homer and a ghostly sage coincide with his mortal sag.5icity. 

■ But setting fable aside, our city was founded A. d. 332, and designed by 
Alexander to be the centre of commerce and capital of the world. No situation 
could be more commanding, and few harbors more secure and capacious. It is 
also a wonderful thing that this city, whose prosperity seems to have been once 
and for ages destroyed by the progress of science, should be destined to rise to 
opulence again from the same cause. While the discovery of the mariner's 
compass and the passage around the Cape of Good Hope turned away from this 
port in the Mediterranean the wealth of the Indies, the triumphs of steam in 
our time will again make Alexandria what she was four hundred years ago, 
the queen of oriental commerce. Singular that one city should wax and wane, 
fall and rise again by the quiet revolutions of so many ages, and owe her rising 
to life to the increase of the same science which once appeared to have inflicted 
upon her a mortal blow ! Not satisfied with her strength of position and her 
commercial advantages, the Ptolemies made her still more illustrious as the seat 
of learning. The museum of Alexandria, and the destruction of its library by 
the ruthless Caliph, are prominent points in the history of our common civiliza- 
tion. That the 4000 baths of the city should have been heated during the space 
of six months by the treasures of the Alexandrian library, excites scai-cely less 
wonder than the conduct of the Caliph Omar, who could issue so barbarous a 
commandment ; — 700,000 volumes ! what a treasure of manuscripts ! What 
trophies of learning and genius then fell a prey to the fierce edict of a brutal 
conqueror! The mind can scarcely contemplate with equanimity, even after 
the lapse of many centuries, the fearful and irrevocable doom of the fruits of so 
much genius and intellectual toil. How much has been lost to mankind by 



KUINS OF ALEXANDEIA. 29. 

that single act of the bigoted fanatic ! ' All wisdom is in Alcoran, and all that 
is not in Alcoran must be folly 1 Let the useless perish 1' Never was there 
since the world began an immortal bad fame more easily gained, and by the 
destruction of a far grander temple than that of Diana of the Ephesians ! The 
fame of Eratostratus grows pale before the fierce and lurid glory which the 
Caliph Omar won for ever by this detestable bonfire ! 

But let us rein in our just but vain indignation while we turn our attention 
to the few remains of the ancient, and the aspect of the modern Alexandria. 
The ancient city appears to have been built upon arches, some of which have 
been examined, and prove to be partly of Greek and partly of Eoman origin, 
according to the date of their erection ; though the former are not sufficient to 
establish the claim of the Greek to this chief distinction in architecture of the 
Latin era. These arches are now so much buried or destroyed by the accumu- 
lations of ages, or by the ruthless hand of the unsparing Muslim, that their 
place is better determined by the hollow sound beneath the feet of the traveller 
than by any visible manifestation. Doubtless, if these heaps of rubbish and 
ruins over which our donkeys carried us could be removed- with care, an 
ancient city with its streets and houses might be revealed like Ponipeii, and the 
direction of the streets could be still traced by the wells which supplied the 
inhabitants, and were in turn supplied from the great cisterns under the arches. 
But the workmen of Mohammed Ali have little time and no inclination to 
search into these almost speaking records of the past, and therefore destroy for 
building materials the ancient walls, wherever they come in their way, with the 
same indifference with which they remove the modern accumulations ; being in 
utter ignorance whether the wall which they tear down may not be one side 
of an almost perfect house, that requires only the revelation of its other parts 
to give us a correct idea of an ancient building of Egypt. The only objects of 
universal interest that still remain exposed to the gaze of the curious traveller, 
are Pompey's Pillar and Cleopatra's Needles ; and both these, strange to say, 
have been recently shown to be falsely named, and to have had a much more 
modern origin than either the period of the great Eoman, or the time of the 
beautiful queen. 



30 THE PHAROS OF ALEXANDEIA. 

Amid this mass of ruins, tliese mounds and heaps of brick and lime, this 
countless host of the most wretched cabins in which it can be the hard lot of 
human beings to drag out a slavish existence, interspersed though they be with 
a few magnificent abodes of luxury and wealth, how difficult it becomes to 
realize the fact, that power, and that too the chiefest power in the world, once 
sat here proudly and securely enthroned ; that art has here accomplished some 
of its most illustrious triumphs ; that genius has hence illumined the earth with 
some of the brighest emanations of its immortal fires ; that learning has here 
celebrated many of its most glorious victories ; and that beauty once sat upon 
the throne of Egypt, encircled by the dazzling though transient halo of a 
world-wide renown. The Eomans adjudged to Alexandria the first place among 
cities after their own proud capital ; and Gibbon, the best of authorities upon 
such a question, says that " the lucrative trade of Arabia and India flowed 
through the port of Alexandria to the capital and provinces of the empire." 

When Alexandria was taken by the Arabs on the 22d of December, A. D. 640 
the Muslim general Amrou wrote to the Caliph Omar, boasting of the wonders 
of the city which he had taken ; that it contained four thousand palaces, four 
thousand public baths, forty thousand Jews who paid tribute, four hundred 
theatres, and twelve hundred sellers of herbs. He sent so large a quantity of 
wheat to Medina, upon the backs of camels, that the Arabian historian, in the 
style of eastern exaggeration, tells us that the first of an uninterrupted line of 
camels entered Medina before the last had left Egypt. It is not to be forgotten 
that the mother of lighthouses, the Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the 
world, was built here at a cost of more than $700,000, and by an ingenious 
device of the architect the inscription declared his own rather than the fame 
of the royal builder. Under these words on stucco, " King Ptolemy to the 
savior gods, for those who travel by sea," the cunning builder had engraved 
upon the stone itself " Sostratus of Cnidus," followed by the same words. 
When the stucco fell the enduring inscription remained, and gave occasion to 
Strabo to praise Ptolemy for a modesty and generosity to which he had no real 
claim. The old lighthouse occupied the place of the ancient Pharos. Sir Gai'- 
diner Wilkinson makes this statement, and quotes Pococke, who says that he 



pompet's pillar. 31 

tliouglit he could discover below the waters some fragments of columns and 
masonry, which might be the remains of that famous tower. But this is all 
very \mcertain, and it is hardly probable that any remnant of a building so 
much exposed to the fury of the elements remains to our time. 

There are, however, two monuments of antiquity which excite universal 
interest, though probably neither of them occupies the ancient site, nor are they 
called by the names which really belong to them ; — ^these are Pompey's Pillar 
and Cleopatra's Needles. The pillar is situated at the distance of a short ride, 
perhaps one-third of a mile from the city, upon a high mound, commanding an 
interesting prospect of the Lake Mareotis and of the modern city. The column 
is nearly one hundred feet high, the shaft of a single granite rock, being 
seventy-three feet, and the lofty pedestal occupying the rest of the height. 
Some have supposed that this was one of the four hundred columns which 
belonged to the great library. Sir Gardiner Wilkinson tells us, — " The name 
given to this column has led to much criticism ; some derived it from Pompaios, 
as having served for a landmark, and others endeavored to read in the inscrip- 
tion the name of Pompey instead of Publius. Others again erroneously sup- 
posed its Arabic title Amood e' Sowari to connect it with Severus, and some 
even attributed it to Julius Caesar. But Sari or Sowari are terms applied to 
any lofty monument, which conveys the idea of a "mast ;" and the inscription, 
of which Mr. Salt and I were enabled, with the assistance of a ladder and by 
chalking out the letters to make a complete copy, shows it to have been erected 
by Publius, the pn^fect of Egypt, in honor of Diocletian." 

By flying a kite over the summit of the pillar some young Englishmen 
once cast a rope over it, and raising themselves to the top, after their carousal 
displayed the English flag ; which they naturally forgot to strike on descending. 
The next morning the astonished Pasha discovered this nocturnal annexation 
of his dominions to the British crown, and being somewhat angry, to foreclose 
any future attempts of the kind, forbade the ascent of the column. 

We were unable to visit the catacombs, but a portion of our party who felt 
less interest than ourselves in the ecclesiastical antiquities, visited these obscure 
and now almost buried remains of the ancient city of the dead. At the time 



32 

of tlie great earthquake, which happened about the commencement of the 
Christian era, the catacombs were nearly destroyed, and the original entrance or 
entrances were choked u]3. The passage to them is now from an opening near 
the seashore, and many of the chambers are so blocked up by sand that it 
is Tery difficult to enter them even upon the hands and knees. They are evi- 
dently the work not of Egyptian but of Grrecian architects, which apjjears from 
the shape of the doors, pilasters, and sarcophagi. 

From this remarkable object we rode over mounds of rubbish, the earth 
below us occasionally giving indications of buried treasures by its hollow sound. 
We next came to Cleopatra's Needles. These are two obelisks of red granite, 
one standing upright and the other lying prostrate at some little distance, and 
near the pedestal on which it once stood. It was overthrown, however, not by 
an earthquake but by an Italian engineer ; and though given to the English by 
Mohammed Ali it has never been removed, as the expense would be great ; 
and the hieroglyphics are very much obliterated. In the standing obelisk the 
inscriptions on one side have been in a great measure worn away by the action 
of the fine sand blown from the desert. These obelisks formerly stood in 
Heliopolis, the On of the Scriptures,, and- Avhen brought thence by one of the 
Caesars, were placed in front of a temple, of which there ai'e now no remains. 
How they obtained the name of Cleopatra's Needles is unexjDlained ; but it is 
quite probable that it was the random thought of some ancient traveller which 
bestowed upon them this appellation. They will, doubtless, now retain the 
name as long as the world lasts. 

"Wherever the ancient mounds which surround the city have been opened, 
the remains of marble columns, statuary, and other fragments have been found ; 
which lead to the conclusion that if Alexandria should ever become a place of 
importance, and the permanent residence of a highly civilized and enlightened 
people and government, excavations conducted with care might lead to the 
discovery of the ruins of those famous buildings whose very site is now buried 
in oblivion. 

As this was an ancient ecclesiastical see of great importance, and was once 
the residence of the Evangelist St. Mark, we naturally felt desirous of making 



ENGLISH CHURCH. — TOLERATION. 33 

some inquiries into its actual religious condition. There are several monasteries 
here, and one of them professes to have retained some relics of the saint, which 
were afterwards, however, purloined and carried to Venice. We rode through 
the suburbs, which consisted of pleasant villas, until we came to the Italian 
convent. As a religious service was about to go forward, we were politely 
invited by the priest who received us to remain. The bishop was expected, 
but finding that he did not arrive, after waiting some time, we returned through 
the public square, where an English church was in process of erection, which I 
understand has since been finished. It stands in a commanding spot, and its 
builders, and especially Mr. Todd, deserve . great praise for their persevering 
efforts. This fact will also exhibit in a strong light the toleration which now exists 
for Christians, in a city where they were once exposed to open insult and even 
outrage. The policy of the Pasha, however oppressive to his own subjects, 
has certainly been of the greatest service to strangers and travellers ; for they 
are now treated with respect where they were once in danger of being stoned 
to death. 



l^mu^t frnm Ilttntikia to Cairn. 

^ei. 2d. — Early this morning we left Alexandria for Cairo, and after a short 
ride in an Egyptian omnibus of European construction, we embarked in a 
small steamboat on the far-famed Mahmoudieh canal. We quickly discovered 
that the mode of managing steamboats was altogether different from our own ; 
for, at the proposed hour of starting, the boat was thrust aground by mis- 
management ; and then, instead of setting poles, to our infinite amazement at 
first, and amusement afterwards, the Arab fellahs, without the slightest hesita- 
tion or regard to the presence of the lady passengers, threw off their light gar- 
ments 'and took to the water, for they seem to be almost amphibious. In a 
5 



34 ' MIRAGE. — MAHMOUDIEH CAiTAL. 

short time they pushed the boat off ; the captain seemed to care very little 
whether they ever got on board again or not ; and one of the sailors, a poor 
fellah, was kept running along the banks at least for two miles, while his clothes 
were safely deposited with us. 

As the canal runs through the Delta, which is, of course, nearly a dead 
level, the sail would have been monotonous had it not been for the novelty and 
strangeness of the scene through which we were passing. For the canal itself 
is elevated by banks above the surrounding country, and we could behold in 
every direction the Arab villages, like so many square or circular mud heaps, 
rising upon every mound and secured by walls of , earth against the annual 
incursions of the Nile. Here too, for the first time, we were deceived by the 
mirage of the desert ; for looking across the plain of sand which now lay 
between us and the Mediterranean, we were quite sure that we saw the water 
in several places, interspersed with eminences of land, and here and there a 
tower, which might easily be taken for a lighthouse. But we were assured it 
was no other than the optical illusion which is so familiar to the travellers over 
the desert, and which has so often beguiled and deceived those who Avere ready 
to perish with thirst. 

The canal is about seventy miles in length, and connecting Alexandria with 
a branch of the Nile, makes the water communication of that city with Cairo 
perfect. It follows a part of the Canopic branch of the Nile, which has been 
choked up since Alexandria was built, and a part of the ancient canal of Fouah. 
The remains of ancient towns are occasionally found near its banks. It was 
dug out in 1819, by the despotic order of Mehemet Ali ; and the cruelties per- 
petrated upon the miserable population, in its execution, almost exceed belief. 
They are graphically portrayed in the following extract from the eloquent 
author of the Crescent and the Cross : 

" In the greatness and the cruelty of its accomplishment, this canal may vie 
with the gigantic labors of the Pharaohs. Two hundred and fifty thousand 
people, men, women, and children, were swept from the villages of the Delta, 
and heaped like a ridge along the destined banks of that fatal canal. They 
had only provisions for one month, and implements they had few or none ; but 



RAILWAY. — THE DELTA. 35 

the Paslia's command was urgent — tlie men worked with all the energy of 
despair, and stabbed into the ground as if it were their enemy : children carried 
away the soil in little handfuls ; nursing mothers laid their infants on the shel- 
terless banks ; the scourge kept them to work, and mingled blood with their 
milk, if they attempted to nourish their offspring. Famine soon made its appear- 
ance, and they say it was a fearful sight, to see that great multitude convulsively 
working against time. As a dying horse bites the ground in its agony, they 
tore up that great grave — twenty-five thousand people perished, but the given 
contract was completed, and in six weeks the waters of the Nile were led to 
Alexandria." 

I have recently met with the following notice of a projected railway be- 
tween Alexandria and Cairo. If carried into execution, as in all probability it 
will be, sooner or later, while it will of course save the traveller's time and 
enable him to avoid many discomforts, it will destroy much of the romance of 
a visit to the East. 

"This railway, folloT^ng the line of the two principal canals, will not have 
any great obstacles to encounter. There are no tunnels to excavate or cuttings 
to make ; but it will find an inconvenience quite unknown in Europe, and that 
is the Kamsin, the wind of the desert, which arrives charged with sand, and 
which leaves such sudden heaps behind it. The circulation could be sometimes 
interrupted by visitations of that kind. But there is a means of guarding 
against it, for experience proves that this wind, which generally lasts fifty days, 
is stopped, as if miraculously, by the interposition of alleys of trees. It is in 
consequence intended to plant long ranges of wild fig-trees, which grow per- 
fectly well in the sand." 

The Delta, so famous in ancient times for its fertility, was once watered by 
several branches of the Nile, which, however, are now all choked up. This 
fruitful plain might still be the granary of Egypt, were it not for the fearful 
grasp of the tyrant which has palsied the hand of labor. Singular fatuity ! 
which could lead the despot to construct a canal, and by the same odious fiat 
which called the watery way into existence, destroy the producers of the 
wealth that should have been conveyed upon its bosom. But thus is all tyran- 



36 THOUGHTS ON THE NILE. 

ny sliort-siglited, and thus does the Divine Justice cause the cruelty of those 
who are suffered to rule to prepare for itself its own punishment. The despot- 
ism of Mehemet Ali has indeed given an appearance of progress and of pros- 
perity to Egypt ; but these have been purchased at the awful price of the tears 
and the groans of a whole people, and the brightness of the sudden glow which 
attracted the applause of Europe may be but the too vivid jDrecursor of embers 
and ashes! 

Occasional boats, loaded with rice, dates, wheat, and a few bales of cotton, 
passed us on their way to Alexandria ; but there was little to remind one of 
the active commerce of the Thames, the Hudson, and the Mississippi, until we 
reached Atfeh, at the junction of the canal by locks with the Nile ; and here 
the boats lined both sides of the canal for two miles, and gave some indications 
of a more prosperous trade. 



THE NILE. 

At nine o'clock in the evening we reached the Nile, and although in the 
night we could see but little, yet we now felt that we were on the mysterious 
river. There were no berths in our boat, and the substitution of benches was 
not very comfortable ; but the interest of the place and our new position occu- 
pied our thoughts far more than the discomforts of the cabin. It was a relief 
to escape from the canal and its inevitable associations with the cruelty which 
presided over its construction, to the natural grandeur of the great river of 
Egypt. Yet, in itself, it must be confessed that the river does not differ in 
the sameness of its scenery from any other of the great streams which flow 
through a flat country ; and the very fact of its annual inundations, which 
render it the fertilizer of Egypt, is necessarily connected with a certain tame- 
ness in its natural features. Yet such is the power of association, that the Nile 
becomes invested with that indefinable grandeur of thought which attends the 
mind to the remotest antiquity, and singles it out from all the rivers in the 
world. The mystery connected with its inexhaustible fountains, and the almost 



ANTOINE D'ABBADIE. 37 

miracle by whicli, like a being endowed witb a knowledge of times and seasons, 
it, returns to its pimctual overflow ; the lamentations or the joy of a whole 
people who literally wait to cast their bread upon its waters, and patiently 
expect to find it after many days — ^^how could our entrance upon the Nile be 
otherwise than ihteresting amid such recollections as these ! How many 
thoughts of the civilized world have been turned to the investigation of the 
questions connected with the Nile ; and how many laborious hours and even 
years have scientific men devoted to their solution ! On my return from Egypt, 
I was happy to meet in the boat which conveyed us back to Italy, one of two 
brothers who had just been spending nine years in the interior of Africa, in the 
hope of determining two interesting questions : the central point between the 
declination of the needle towards the east and the west, or the spot where it 
points to the true north, and the sources of the river Nile. M. Antoine d'Ab- 
badie, and his brother Arnauld, nothing daunted by that ancient work which 
has applied to a futUe enterprise the phrase. Caput Nili quoerere^ furnish an 
example of that enthusiastic and absorbing devotion to science which has had 
its heroes and martyrs in every age. Their names are already familiar to the 
Academy of Finance, though as yet scarcely known to the American reader. 
Hence it gives me great pleasure to record with the most honorable mention, 
the fact that two young men of family, fortune, and high social position, to 
whom a career in the political arena or a place in the army of France was open, 
preferred the quiet, less dazzling, but more useful way of a nobler ambition. 
They left all the allurements of a French capital, and all the charms of their 
elevated station, for the privations and dangers of an enterprise which has dug 
a grave in the desert for many of those ardent and devoted pupils of science 
whom a cold world aeglects while living and laments when dead. M. Antoine 
d'Abbadie escaped all the perils of the African journey, and now stood before 
me in the vigor of manhood, in appearance, manner, and costume no longer a 
Frenchman, but an Oriental with flowing garments and a bronzed complexion, 
and evidently imbued deeply with Eastern tastes and habits. I listened with 
deep attention to his recital of the toils and difficulties surmounted, until with 
his brother, having penetrated farther into the interior of Abyssinia than any 



38 ASPECT OF THE NILE.— THE BARRAGE. 

former traveller, they planted tke tricolored flag at the source of the White 
River, or as he firmly believed the original fountain of the Nile. All honor 
to his efforts, whatever may be the judgment of fature times as to the cor- 
rectness of his decision ! By recent letters from this adventurous traveller, 
it appears that he is now engaged in a literary contest with other scientific 
men, some of whom have attacked the truth of his conclusions. Confident, 
however, of the final triumph of his cause, he says with admirable energy, 
" We lean on the strength of that sentiment contained in the adage, which, 
has brought us thus far through inner Africa, ' Time respects only what he 
has built.' " 

Feb. '6d. — Rising early this morning, I saw the sun come tip in all his bright- 
ness over the majestic river. I was struck with the coolness of the morning, 
the thermometer indicating so low a temperature as 48°. For the first time the 
peculiar features of the Nile revealed themselves ; its winding course through a 
narrow, fertile valley, the picturesque villages upon every mound or slight, 
elevation, interspersed with palm-trees, the increasing number of vessels, the 
boats with their latteen sails seen at a great distance and across the points of 
land formed by the sinuosities of the river, and more striking than all the hills 
of sand which on the right side of the river bounded the verdure of the valley, 
where a constant warfare seems to be maintained between the encroachments 
of the desert and the fertilizing stream. In one case a vUlage appeared to be 
entirely surrounded or choked by the advancing sand, which at this point had 
reached the very banks of the river itself 

The branches of the Nile are now reduced to two. We had been ascending 
the Rosetta branch of the river, and now came within view of one of the most 
stupendous of the undertakings of Mehemet Ali. This is the proposed barrage, 
or great dam of the two branches of the river. The object is to dam up the 
Nile and afford a supply of water to the Delta in the case of a deficient inunda- 
tion, and during the drought of what is called the low Nile. By means of the 
projected dams, and a large canal cut through the centre of the Delta, it is 
thought that the expensive cultivation by the use of water-wheels may be 
avoided. The Eosetta branch is the widest, and the strong stone dam was to 



THE PYRAMIDS. — CAIEO. 39 

consist of twenty -four arches, eacli thirty feet wide, and a central arch of ninety- 
two feet ; the Damietta branch of sixteen similar arches and the central ; the 
latter to be left open always to carry off the main flood, and the smaller to be 
closed at the low season to feed the canals of the Delta. The work is yet 
unfinished, and great doubts may be reasonably entertained as to its final suc- 
cess should this unique undertaking ever be brought to a conclusion. For the soil 
is alluvial, and the power of such a huge body of water, in sapping the insecure 
foundations of the abutments and even of making a new channel for the river 
itself, yet remains to be tested ; and the fears of scientific men may probably 
prevent this gigantic enterprise from becoming more than a monument that the 
will of the despot was compelled, for once at least, to yield to his inability to 
triumph over the obstacles of nature. A little beyond the barrage of the 
Eosetta branch we reached the main body of the river, and now felt that we 
were indeed upon the Nile. Here we looked out anxiously towards the south 
for the first view of the pyramids, and after a little time discovered in the far 
distance what appeared to be three haycocks. Though we knew very well that 
their outlines were straight and triangular, yet they seemed to be rounded, 
according to the fashion of the unsubstantial material to which I have dared to 
compare them, and by no effort of the imagination could we get up the amount 
of enthusiasm necessary for so decisive a moment as a first view of the pyramids 
of Egypt. As we advanced, however, they seemed to increase in size, and their 
outlines became more and more distinct. 



APPEOACH TO CAIRO. 

But now a new object arrested our attention ; the city of Cairo itself appeared 
upon the left hand, rising above the green fields, which grew more and more 
fertile as we drew near the termination of our voyage. The city looms up from 
the surrounding plain, and with its minarets, its citadel upon a lofty rock, 
where a new and very splendid mosque was building by the Pasha, it forms a 
striking object in the landscape. It stands too amidst luxuriant groves of syca- 



40 A CRUEL FRANK. — ROAD FROM BOOLAK. 

mores and palm-trees, and is beautifully surrounded by fig-trees, orange-trees, 
and olive-yards. About six miles before reacting the city you pass tbe favorite 
palace of Mehemet Ali, Slioobra, in the midst of a grove of apricots, olives, and 
fig-trees. A crowd of boats lining the left bank of the river, and a considerable 
village soon furnished an indication that we had reached Boolak, the port of 
Cairo. "We landed, and our luggage being but little in quantity, was soon dis- 
posed of at the custom-house. Here, as at Alexandria, we were surrounded by 
men and boys all eager to get possession of our luggage. A crowd of camels 
raising their ugly heads far above us, gave a sufficiently oriental appearance to 
the scene. We, however, selected the humbler donkeys, and it was 'on our way 
to Cairo that we saw a remarkable example of the degradation of the miserable 
inhabitants of this enslaved coimtry. A runner, apparently a Frenchman, went 
up to one of the Tpoor fellahs who was seeking employment for himself and his 
donkey, and with a Jcoorbash or whip made of the hide of the rhinoceros, began 
to lash him over the head and back in the most cruel and unsparing manner. 
Our indignation was roused, and with the warm impulses of his nature, m;^ 
friend rode up to the petty tyrant and compelled him to desist, giving money 
at the same time to the poor victim of his cruelty. The bystanders laughed at 
him for his humanity, and assured him that the fellah would bargain for a beat- 
ing every day for the same sum of money. It seems that the poor fellow, who 
folded his hands upon his breast, and received the chastisement with the utmost 
submission, had been sent to the city on some errand, which he had neglected, 
and that the Frank had taken the law into his own hands in this cruel and 
summary manner. For the Arab there was no redress, for had he applied to 
the cadi his remonstrances would undoubtedly have procured him a bastinado 
instead of a hearing ; so potent would have been the influence of the foreigner's 
gold over the conscience of the judge. 

The road from Boolak to the great city of the East is a fine broad way, 
lined with trees upon each side, and was filled with a motley crowd, some on 
pleasure and some on business. There were women upon camels and donkeys, 
riding in the Turkish fashion or astride of the saddle, dressed in ample folds of 
black silk and closely veiled, according to the universal custom. But one of 







A- STREET IN CAIRO. 



"v'O. niMud\vuv. New York . 



MOOLED e' NEBBY. 41 

the most peculiar features of the scene was the immense number of water- 
carriers, which are constantly passing between the city and the port, conveying 
their burdens in sMns upon donkeys or upon their backs, or as in the case of the 
women, upon their heads. One is compelled to wonder that among other less 
useful undertakings, some Mehemet Ali had never supplied his great capital 
with water. 



HtHiknte in #rntiii Cairn. 



We now enter the city by the gate of the Uzbekeeh, which is a very exten- 
sive square just within the walls. The latter are guarded by sentinels at the 
several gates, but are in part so low that it is easy for a man to climb over them. 
We found a crowd of people in the square, and learning that it was the annual 
festival of the Mooled e' Nebby or the Prophet's birthday, we made our way 
as quickly as possible to the hotel, and after dinner returned to observe the 
manners and customs of the people inthe celebration of these annual holidays; 
for the festival lasts for several days. The large square covered with tents, the 
turbaned and shawl-girdled population, the guttural sounds of the Arabic, the 
low and monotonous music, the flowing garments, together with the scream- 
ing, shouting, and novel games, all contributed to heighten the effect of 
this singular scene, and to add to the strong impression which its novelty 
had made upon us. Some were going through a species of devotion. As 
I approached it seemed as if I were coming to a show of wild beasts, which 
were giving a kind of concert in a deep growl or roar. In the different tents 
the devotion was in several stages of progress ; but as far as I could discover 
this was the course of it, — ^the tents are erected and lighted at the expense of 
the Faithful, and in some cases by the priests. Some of them were large and 
well covered with drapery, and lighted by a great number of colored lamps. 
8 



42 FANATICISM. — ARABIC MUSIC. 

Tlie ground was covered by carpets, and on these witli their slippers off were 
seated in rows facing each other some twenty or thirty, and in some cases as 
many as fifty or sixty of the devout in a tent. At their head were two or three 
who sang a sort of chant, to which the rest responded in a chorus, consisting 
simply of the word Allah. This was uttered as low down in the throat as a 
man could make a noise, and sent forth each time with a violent respiration. 
The sounds succeeded each other with considerable rapidity, and at the same 
time the worshippers threw their bodies backwards and forwards with a quick 
bending motion. After a time they rose to their feet, when the grunting and 
bowing grew more rapid and earnest ; until at length the bending of the body 
backward and forward became a perfect jerk, as if they would break themselves 
in two, or at least throw their heads off. As they became more excited they 
would swing their bodies from one side to the other, and at last jump up and 
down, keeping up the whole time the same rapid grunting out of the word 
Allah. After an hour or more they seemed quite exhausted and sank down, 
when pipes and coffee were handed to them for refreshment. It is said 
that they sometimes get so excited that they fall down and foam at the 
mouth. While contemplating this exhibition of fanaticism, I could not help 
thinking that a Turk, in our own country at a camp meeting, or among 
the Shakers, might see things as little consistent with the rational worship of 
the Deity. 

; Erom these tents we went into several of the streets of the city, where the 
celebration of the fair was carried on. There were booths on both sides filled 
with candy, sweetmeats, dates, cakes, &c. ; and when we came to the narrow 
streets, the shops were all open and lamps hung about in abundance. There 
were crowds of people dressed in varied oriental costume ; I said people, but 
there was not a woman among them ; and indeed the guide told us that if a 
woman was seen there she would be instantly carried off to prison. Coffee- 
houses were open, filled with men, and in some of them we heard a singular 
kind of Arabic mxisic. In one place we saw what I shall venture to call an 
oriental orchestra of about eight men, sitting cross-legged ; one playing on a 
kind of guitar, another on a queer little instrument with two strings, which 



A GRAND PANORAMIC VIEW. 43 

made a sound like a bagpipe ; another was beating a small drum, and still 
another a tambourine, -while three or four were singing. The music was bar- 
barous enough but was not wholly destitute of character, and the people were 
evidently amused by it. At another coffee-house we saw a man sitting cross- 
legged as before and telling a story, at which occasionally the people laughed 
quite heartily. After walking about and contemplating at leisure these strange 
and interesting sights, we returned to our hotel thoroughly fatigued. 



FIRST SUNDAY IN CAIRO. 

Feb, 4:th. — It is Sunday morning. I have been seated at the writing-table 
since daylight, and just now breaking off for a moment and going to the win- 
dow for a respite, a most glorious prospect revealed itself It is an hour after 
sunrise. The first objects that arrest my eye are the pyramids of Ghizeh in 
the distance, the ascending sun shining upon them so as to reveal their shape 
most perfectly. Looking again, and more particularly at the scene around me, 
I find that I have from this spot one of the most beautiful panoramas that I ever 
beheld. There lies before me the grand open square or public garden of Cairo, 
nearly as large as Boston Common, the acacia trees all in full green foliage. 
It is bordered on one side by a portion of the city, and its white-fronted houses 
of various architecture ; behind them the graceful minarets shoot up among the 
tall palm-trees, and on the other side are the public buildings, with a distant 
view of the sand hills of the desert. In the centre of the picture, but at a far 
distance, rise the pyramids ; but I feel it is idle to attempt a description. I 
suppose it did not strike us yesterday because there was a haze over the pros- 
pect, and the sun had risen too high to cast the shadows favorably. But this 
morning it is a sight indeed to be remembered. How I wished for the talent 
of taking a view from nature ! We have ascertained that there is an English 
church here, and we anticipate the comfort of a Christian Sunday. And a 
great comfort indeed it is, when we are so far from Christendom and surrounded 
by a false religion and its odious superstitions. 



44 CHURCH SERVICE IN A FOREIGN LAND. 

Evening. — ^We have just returned from seeing as great a contrast in modes 
of religious -worship as can well be imagined. We first went to the jslace ap- 
propriated to the mission service of the Church of England. This is situated 
in what is called the Christian quarter. After leaving the square, we passed 
through several streets so narrow that one might touch the houses on both sides 
at the same time. Loaded donkeys can go through them, and camels without a 
load. When you encounter a donkey or a camel you must squeeze yourself to 
one side in order to let them pass. It is surprising with what ease this is done, 
when one gets accustomed to it. Even the ladies of our party got through, 
pushing their way among crowds of people, donkeys, and camels, without much 
trouble. They were jostled a little, to be sure, and now and then thrust aside 
by a donkey or its driver, but they took it all very pleasantly, and did not seem 
in the least disconcerted. Arrived at the cha]pel, which was a lofty but not 
very large room, neatly fitted up with a reading-desk, pulpit, and altar, the 
English service was read by one clergyman, and a sermon preached by Mr. 
Lieder. Both were Germans, and are sent out and sustained by the Church 
Missionary Society. The sermon was a short and sensible one upon repentance, 
from the text, "Kepentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus 
Christ." The Holy Communion was then administered, and of the small con- 
gregation of some forty persons about half were communicants. All was 
simple, and as our beautiful service must ever be to those who are prepared for 
it and who love it, impressive, and especially so to us, far from home, and in a 
land like this, bowed down to the very dust by a degrading superstition. The 
last expression came to my pen, I suppose, in consequence of what we saw 
after Church. 

We understood that the festival, which has lasted some days, and a part of 
which we saw last night, was to be concluded to-day by a most remarkable 
ceremony. The chief priest of the Mohammedan religion rides on horseback 
over the prostrate bodies of great numbers of the deluded followers of the 
False Prophet. It takes place only once a year. We therefore went, and on ai'- 
riving at the open square, where the tents of last evening were pitched, we found 
it already thronged with people. The appearance of the crowd of people in 



A MOHAMMEDAN CROWD. — A DEVOTEE. 45 

Eastern costume, -with their flowing dresses of various colors, was striking, and 
as I stood above them looking down upon a sea of turbans, white, red, and 
blue, with an occasional mixture of the sacred green, I was struck with the 
same diflference which I have elsewhere noted, between the aspect of an Orien- 
tal and a European crowd. They seemed to be good-natured enough, and on 
the whole as orderly as any such mixed multitude with us. They were, how- 
ever, somewhat more noisy; for all seemed to be talking together in their 
guttural dialect, with much vociferation and gesticulation. There were soldiers 
here and there, with a musket in the left hand and a stick in the right, which 
was occasionally used pretty freely, without any resistance on the part of the 
people. The musket or bayonet seemed to be never employed, as with us, to 
press the people back to form a lane for a procession ; for the whip appeared to 
answer all the purpose. There was some scolding, but not a sign of resistance. 
Indeed, a whip or stick is the common instrument here for keeping the lower 
people in order. After some time we perceived that the procession was ap- 
proaching. It was coming from the principal mosque, where there had been 
some species of service. "We could first see several flags upon lofty poles, but 
as there was no wind, and the flags were not held open, we could not discover 
the device. After these standard-bearers, to the number of seven or eight, had 
passed by, there was a great commotion among the people, and a devotee ap- 
proached, naked to his waist, with iron needles or skewers, six or eight inches 
long, sticking through the flesh of his breasts and arms, the skewers having 
been first run through a lemon, which was still upon the top of one of them, 
showing that the acid juice had come in contact with the wounded flesh. He 
marched along without any mark of pain, or even of discomfort on his counte- 
nance. After this the noise and confusion increased, and we perceived that it 
proceeded from the men lying down side by side upon the gTOund. There 
were a number of persons whose duty it seemed to be to arrange them, by 
making them lie close together, and preventing them from being piled one 
upon the other. This was effected by a copious application of the whip, for 
there seemed to be no lack of devotees, and any one might lie down who chose. 
The human pavement being thus formed, I pushed myself through to the front 



46 A DOWN-TBODDEN PEOPLE. 

rank of spectators, so that I might see the effect upon the people that were 
about to be trodden upon. They were all in a state of great excitement, crying 
out Allah, Allah. First came five or six persons running on foot over the 
prostrate people, immediately followed by the priest on horseback, the horse 
being led by a man upon each side, who kept him upon the backs of the people. 
The horse had evidently been trained, and was not frightened at the singular 
road over which he was walking. His pace was quick, and apparently as 
springy and light as a horse could walk. Immediately after he passed the 
people were helped up, though some got up of themselves. All seemed to be 
excited in the highest degree, some writhing as if in pain, others fainting as if 
from exhaustion. My impression is that none of them were seriously injured ; 
indeed, I believe that the horse's hoofs did not touch more than half of them, 
and that the whole appearance of suffering was the effect of fanaticism. It was 
altogether an astonishing exhibition of human weakness and degrading super- 
stition. No doubt they think to gain some privilege here or in Paradise ; and 
for this perhaps the priest was praying, as he kept his eyes shut, and his head 
lifted up towards the skies, while he continually beat his breast Avith his hands. 



A DAY OF SOCIAL GRATIFICATION. 

Feb. 5th. — The overland mail arrived from India, and as it leaves to-morrow, 
the greater part of the day was spent in preparing letters. "With the mail 
arrived, to my surprise, from Canton, Mr. S. G. Goodridge. How Avonderfully, 
even in this part of the world, are facilities for intercourse increased ! One 
friend from New- York meets another from Canton in Grrand Cairo, and though 
pleasing to both, it is no great matter of astonishment to either. After some 
purchases in the bazaars, I went to spend the afternoon with the Eev. Mr. Lieder, 
the worthy missionary here. I found him and Mrs. Lieder to be very intelli- 
gent persons, and, as always, ready to give us all the advice and assistance in 
their power, and especially to procure us some useful books, for we had already 
visited the bookseller's, and found little or nothing of any value in his assort- 



TURKISH SHOPS. — HOSPITABLE RECEPTION. 47 

ment of varieties. Indeed, the shops in which articles peculiar to European 
life are to be found are very poorly supphed, and the prices are very high. 
The traveller should be supplied with every thing needful before coming to 
this land of oriental dress and habits. 

The Turkish bazaars and the shops are all filled with what a Turk or an 
Arab needs for comfort and luxury. But when I speak of a shop's being filled, 
it must not be supposed that they resemble the shops in Broadway. On the 
contrary, they are very small, and will not contain much, and generally speak- 
ing every article is within reach of the Turk, who sits cross-legged in the midst 
of his goods. The fronts are all open, and each shop about as large as a small 
shop- window in New- York, and only five or six feet deep. When there is 
sufficient space, there is sometimes a shelf or ledge in front for a part of the 
goods. The owner is squatted inside upon a small carpet, lazily sipping his 
coffee, or smoking his pipe, and usually serves you without deigning to move 
from his oriental position. He always demands more than he will take, and 
unless you are resigned to being cheated, buying must be bargaining. Even 
then you may not hope to escape imposition. 1 dare say there may be excep- 
tions, and dealings between Turk and Turk may be different, but I speak only 
of strangers. 

In the evening we went to dine with Mr. Murray, her Britannic Majesty's 
Agent and Consul-G-eneral for Egypt. We met a small party of ten, and 
among them several ladies and gentlemen who had been our fellow-passengers. 
The dinner was good and agreeable, and served in the European style ; but 

" When DOW the rage of hunger was represt," 

Mr. Miirray pleasantly observed, that since we were in a strange land, we ought 
to pay some attention to its customs ; and as smoking was a very important 
one, that could not with propriety be altogether omitted, the ladies must decide 
whether this oriental rite should be performed in their presence or not. Capt. 
Murray, of the Navy, the brother of our host, jocosely put the question to 
vote, and the ladies decided that we must smoke in their company. Upon this 



48 EASTERN FORMS OF SALUTATION. 

we all retired to the drawing-room, wliicli was very spacious, well furnislied, 
and surrounded witli a divan. An attendant soon entered with a long Turkish 
pipe for each of us, the bowls resting upon the floor, in a small circular brass 
tray, to protect the carpet from the ashes. The mouth-pieces of the pipes were 
large and composed of amber ; and I was astonished to hear the prices that had 
been paid for them. One was twenty -five pounds and another fifty pounds ster- 
ling, or nearly two hundred and fifty dollars. I afterwards saw several in the 
^ bazaar which were valued at one hundred pounds sterling each. Some were 
even studded with diamonds and other precious stones. This is one of the 
chief articles of Turkish extravagance and luxury. The amber of which they 
are made is brought from Eussia. 

The evening passed agreeably with music and conversation. Among other 
topics that of the Arabic or Egyptian mode of salutation was introduced, and 
Mr. Murray gave us an account of what custom required, and very curious 
indeed it was. The compliments paid to each other by Egyptians, especially 
if they are friends and have been long separated, are quite an extended cere- 
mony, and call into exercise all the skill of the parties in the use of language. 
In fact it becomes a kind of controversy, and one who can run through a long 
string of complimentary phrases without making any mistake as to the point I 
am about to mention, is deemed an eloquent man ; while he who fails in this 
respect passes for a very stupid person, destitute of refinement and cultivation. 
When two Arabs meet each lays his hand upon his forehead and on the region, 
of the heart, after having joined the palms of their hands together. Then one 
begins, " May Allah give you his blessing," or with some similar phrase. The 
other replies, " The blessing of Allah rest upon you," and so on to a gTcat 
extent ; the essential point being that the answer shall embrace the principal 
word of the sentence in the salutation. Otherwise it is esteemed an unsatisfac- 
tory reply ; the person making it has failed, the other has gained a victory, and 
is considered the most eloquent and polished man. 

At my request Mr. Murray politely furnished me with the following state- 
ment: 

" The salutations interchanged among the Arabs are laid down by certain 



SALUTATIONS AND REPLIES. 49 

customary laws and usages, a departure from wMcli enables tliem at once to 
detect a stranger. Every particular incident in social life has its appropriate 
compliment, to whicli an appropriate reply is attached ; and it is remarkable 
that the reply must include, though perhaps in an altered form, the leading ex- 
pression of the original compliment. It is almost impossible to render these salu- 
tations literally in English, because we have not in our language verbs capable 
of expressing the various ideas which are conveyed in Arabic by the addition 
of a single letter to the Arabic root. E. g. from the root sahh, morning, we have 
sabhaha, to give good morning ; tasahaba, to take a morning sleep ; asbaha, 
to come in the morning, &c. The above observations and the examples illustra- 
tive of them, refer to the usages current among the better educated classes 
in Cairo. 



SALUTATIONS. ' 

[S. salutation. — i?. reply.) 

Morning. S. SabSii-kom bil their — Good morning. 

R. Allah iesbiih-kom bil kheir — May God give you good morrow. 
Mid-day. S. Naharkom said — May your day be happy. 

B. Nah^-kom abiad — May your day be white (well omened). 
Evening. S. MessS-kom bil-kheir — May your evening be happy. 

R. Allah iemsykom bil klieir — May God give you good evening. 
Occasional. S. Salamat — Peace (be with you). 

R. AUah iasallemkom — May God give you peace. 
On a visit (after absence). S. Aouhashtena — You have deserted us. 

K. Allah la couhash minkom — May God not desert you. 
Do. S. Hallet el baraka — Blessing has come to dwell with rae. 

R. Allah iabdr^k fyk — May God bless you. 
On drinking water. S. Hanian — Health or welfare. 

R. Allah io-haunyk — May God prosper you. 
After shaving or bathing. S. Naiman — Grace or favor (to you). 

R. Ndam AUah aleikom — God be gracious to you. 
On visiting a sick person. S. Salamat-kom — Your health ! 

R. AUah iasaUemak — May God give you health. 
7 



50 THE BAZAAR. — MODES OF ABLUTION. 

Do. S. La baas aleik — May no evil befall you. 

R. Allah la ioureik baas — May God slio-sv you no evU. 
Do. S. Es-shiffa — Health or recovery. 

R. Allah ieshfyk — May God give you health. 

These instances might be multiplied by scores, but the above are sufficient to 
illustrate the principle on which they are constructed." 



THE CITADEL AND ITS ENVIRONS. 

Feb. 6i/i.— Rose early to see Mr. G. oil for Alexandria, and rode down with 
him to Boolak, where I bade him farewell at the steamboat. The weather 
was quite cold, the wind blowing so strongly that a great coat was essential to 
comfort. Indeed for the last two days I have not been out without an over- 
coat. After breakfast we mounted our donkeys and went out to see several 
objects of interest, and first to the Turkish bazaar. We passed through a 
number'of narrow streets lined with shops, precisely like those I have described, 
and from these the bazaar does not differ, except that it is covered with an 
awning and a chain is thrown across to- prevent the passage of camels and 
donkeys. Some of the streets were thronged with people ; women were out 
as freely as the men making their purchases, only they were veiled in such a 
manner that nothing but their eyes could be seen. We went on through a 
large number of narrow winding streets, turning many sharp corners, till we 
came to a mosque that is not especially holy, and therefore we were suffered 
to enter it without a firman or permit from the government. We were obliged, 
however, to put over our boots a sort of clumsy slipper of basket-work. The 
mosque was old and somewhat dilapidated ; in the area or open court were two 
fountains for the ablutions of the worshippers, the one a circular stone basin 
with a broad ledge around it, the other a round structure eight or ten feet high. 
In the circumference of the last, at a suitable height for washing the hands, 
there were small pipes closed by a plug ; this is for the accommodation of such 
Mohammedans as use running water in their ablutions; for among other 



CITADEL, MOSQUE, AND PALACE. 51 

important divisions, one sect wastes in still water while the other requires it to 
be in motion. What a satire on some Christians ! 

We then proceeded to the citadel, which is a combination of mosque, 
fortress, and palace, upon a rocky elevation. The fortress was in no state for 
defence for part of the works were in ruins, but we understood that they were 
to be reconstructed with some alterations. On the highest point a few gixns 
were mounted. But neglected as it was, it is obvious that should necessity 
require it, the position may be made impregnable. It commands a fine view 
of the town, of the distant pyramids, and of the sand hills beyond. On the 
summit was the grand mosque which Mehemet Ali began to build more than 
twenty years ago ; it is the only structure at all imposing in its architecture 
that we have yet seen in Cairo ; it is large and lofty, crowned with a noble 
dome, with two tall and handsome minarets in front. It is substantially built 
of stone, and the whole is to be cased within and without in Egyptian alabaster. 
This is indeed very rich and beautiful in parts, but it does not seem to be a 
good material for large works ; it conveys no idea of solidity, and is frequently 
disfigured by holes, which must be filled up with plaster, yet the structure is a 
magnificent work ; and like the other undertakings of Mehemet Ali, evinces a 
grandeur of conception which bespeaks him a remarkable man. From the 
mosque, upon which himdreds of men were at work, we went to the palace of 
the Pasha which is near it on the same eminence. An inclosed garden of 
orange and other ti'ees leads to a building which is not very large, but is fin- 
ished in a style of great comfort and some elegance. It combines a mixture of 
Turkish and European architecture. The Pasha's drawing and reception-room 
is surrounded on three sides with cushioned and damask-covered chairs, after 
the European fashion, and the fourth side, which opens by glass windows upon 
the garden for the whole length, is occupied by a spacious divan, with rich 
cushions at the corners and a covering of cloth of gold. Here the Pasha was 
accustomed to sit cross-legged. The three sides without windows were covered 
with large mirrors. The dining-room was in no respect peculiar, as the Pasha 
dined after the European mode, had a French cook, and notwithstanding the 
prophet's prohibition, was somewhat given to French wines. 



52: COURTS OF justice. — PRISONS. — Joseph's well. 

From the Paslia's palace we went to the lialls of justice and tlie prisons. 
There were separate courts for civil and criminal proceedings, and the business 
seemed to be conducted with very little external form. The judges were seated 
on a divan with their pipes beside them, indulging themselves with an occa- 
sional puff. I was struck with the fact that the judges were all Copts, who 
occupied this position because they had once been chosen as scribes or clerks 
on account of their being able to read and write, and thus by degrees were 
advanced to their present places. It should be observed, however, that all 
justice emanates from the sovereign ; and the Sultan sends to Cairo a grand 
cady, who occupies the place of supreme judge, naming the officers directly 
below him, who in turn appoint their subordinates. All affairs of magnitude 
are determined by the chief cady ; causes of less importance are settled by his 
effendis, to whose decision the cady adds his sanction, while all petty matters 
are brought before the scribes or clerks such as I now saw. It seems singular 
that justice should be administered to Mohammedans in a Mohammedan coun- 
try by Christians ; but this is accounted for by their superior education. The 
arrangement, as indeed that of all oui courts of justice, reminds one of the first 
record of theix origin in the Old Testament, and the advice which Jethro the 
father-in-law of Moses gave to him : ' Thou shalt provide out of all the people 
able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness ; and place such 
over them, to be rulers, of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of tens. 
And let them judge the people at all seasons : and it shall be that every great 
matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge.' 
' Then thou shalt be able to endure.' (Exodus xviii.) 

The prisons were certainly inferior to our best regulated penitentiaries, but 
were by no means so uncomfortable and ill-ordered as I should have expected ; 
and indeed I have seen places in our own city which Avould not be much 
injured by a comparison with these prisons of Cairo. 

From the prisons we went to Beer Yusuf, or Joseph's Well. At this name 
the mind naturally reverts to the patriarch ; but the well is said to derive its 
appellation from the renowned Saladin, whose name was also Joseph. But it 
was only cleared out by that famous warrior, as it evidently belongs to a period 



EXHIBITION OP MAGIC. 53 

of much liiglier antiquity than the twelfth century, and is not unworthy to be 
associated with the pyramids and the other great works in Egypt. For it is 
excavated from the solid rock to the depth of two hundred and seventy feet, 
which brings the bottom of the well to a level with the bed of the Mle ; and it 
is undoubtedly supplied from the waters of that river, oozing through the sand, 
which imparts to them its saline properties and gives the water a brackish taste. 
The well is nearly fifty feet in circumference, and is descended by a staircase 
cut in the face of the rock. The water is now used for irrigating the gardens 
of the neighborhood, and in cases of siege would be the sole dependence of the 
fortress. It is raised by two sets of bullocks, the lower ones working the 
water-wheels at the depth of one hundred and sixty feet below the surface, 
where the water is thrown into a reservoir, and the others raising it to the top. 
We went down to the reservoir below the surface, and could not but wonder at 
the labor and perseverance which were required, before the use of gunpowder 
was known, to accomplish such a work as this. 



MAGIC. 

As Egypt has always been connected with the idea of magicians from the 
time of the Pharaohs, through the ages of her mysterious priesthoods, and down 
to our modern gipsies, one can hardly visit that country without having his 
attention in some way drawn to them. We should have paid little attention 
to them, however, had not a party of the English at our hotel sent for one of 
the most famous of these operators, and given us an invitation to be present at 
his performances. At the appointed hour the conjurer came, and after a short 
time a brazier with coals was brotight. The magician wrote several sentences 
upon slips of paper, and then drew a diagram in the hand of a boy whom he 
brought with him. The diagram contained nine squares, and in each was writ- 
ten one of the nine numbers in such a manner that the sum, in whatever direc- 
tion they were added, was fifteen. Into the middle of this diagram he poured 



54 ' FORM OF INCANTATION. 

a little ink, and made tlie boy look into it, wMle lie Mmself sat near the char- 
coal, and bending bis body backwards and forwards went tbrougb a series of 
incantations, occasionally dropping one of the slips on wbieb be bad written, 
together with some perfumes, into the fire. On asking the boy what he saw, he 
began by stating that he saw a man with a broom sweeping the ground, and 
after be had finished, one brought a flag, and then several flags were brought, 
and at last the boy was called upon to see persons whom he could not know, 
and in the description of them he was every time mistaken. We soon came 
to the conclusion that the whole thing was a clumsy irnposture, and left the 
room before the juggling exhibition was finished. For my own part I should 
be disposed to dismiss this whole Egyptian magic in the most summary manner, 
especially since the performances in a similar line of some of our own enlight- 
ened citizens have been infinitely more clever, and seem to be attended with 
more auspicious results than those which fell to the share of our conjurer of 
Cairo. But this would be hardly fair to that increasing body of sages who are 
rapidly learning to look much farther into futurity than our Cairo boy could 
see into an ink spot ; and as every thing in these matters depends upon a pre- 
vious faith, the modern believers in the supernatural will derive more satisfac- 
tion from the pages of Mr. Lane, who, in the second volume of his " Account 
of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians," has entered into a full 
consideration of the subject, which he handles with a more appropriate degree 
of reverence than I am master of. I will merely add his translation of the 
magic invocation and charm. Tarshun and Taryooshun are the names of two 
"familiar spirits," who, as the magician informed Mr. Lane, were good spirits, 
though he told others that they were satanic. But here is the meaning of what 
he mutters : 

" Tarshun t Taiyooshun ! Come down ! Come down ! Be present ! Wliither ai'e gone the prince and 
his troops ? Where are El-Ahmar the prince and his troops ? Be present, ye servants of these names !'' 

" And this is the removal. ' And we have removed from thee thy veil ; and thy sight to-day is pierc- 
ins;.' Correct: correct." 




MOSQUE OF SULTAN HASSAN 



EL-AZHAE, THE SHINING MOSQUE. 55 



THE PRINCIPAL MOSQUES OP CAIRO. .t^. 

Feb. 1th. — We determined to devote this day to visiting some of the princi- 
pal mosques, of which there are about four hundred in Cairo, besides those that 
are in ruins. In order to accomphsh this purpose, as no giaour or infidel is 
aUo-wed the freedom of these holy places, we were obliged to be furnished with 
a permission from the Pasha, and with a soldier to attend us. We made up a 
party of twelve gentlemen and ladies, and by the kindness of Mr. Murray were 
provided with the prerequisites that I have mentioned. We were the more 
desirous to visit the most celebrated of the Muslim places of worship, because 
Cairo is distinguished among Eastern cities for the excellence of its architectiire, 
and almost every variety of the Saracenic may here be seen. As the custom 
of putting the shoes from the feet on entering the sacred precincts prevails in 
all Mohammedan countries, we provided ourselves with those thin yellow 
morocco boots, without soles, which the Eastern women wear instead of 
stockings. 

The general plan of the mosques is similar, though there is of course great 
difference in size, costliness, and minor details. The essential features in a 
large mosque are these : imagine an extensive court, in the centre of which, or 
in some convenient situation, is a fountain where the faithful may perform the 
indispensable ablutions. Into this court the mosque opens by archways, and 
passing under these you enter upon the floor, which is usually covered with 
matting. The roof is supported by pillars, and from it depends a large numbQr 
of lamps. At the side towards Mecca is the sacred niche, and in front of this, 
or not far from it, is the low pulpit, ascended by a few steps, from which the 
Imaum addresses the people. The exterior is usually surmounted by one or 
more domes, the central being by far the largest, and by minarets, usually four 
in a large mosque, and sometimes as many as six. The walls are usually built 
of stones of different colors alternately, as white and red, or white and black; 
or if these are not the original colors of the materials they are usually so painted. 



56 BENEVOLENT USES OF EL-AZHAE. 

In these respects Djamee El-Azliar, or tlie Shining, agrees with the rest ; but it 
surpasses them all in beauty and renown. It was built before the year 1000 of 
the Christian era. It embraces a great court, surrounded with porticos, and 
contains nine rows of naves, where more than twelve hundred lamps are sus- 
pended. The roof is supported by three hundred and eighty columns of mar- 
ble, porphyry, and granite, with handsome bases and capitals, all taken from 
ancient cathedrals or basilicaa ; and the mosque is in every respect a noble 
specimen of Saracenic architecture. But it is not merely in its external beauty 
and the elegance of its form and materials that this mosque deserves the epi- 
thet of Shining, and compels our admiration. As we entered we beheld a 
large number, say fifty or sixty persons, mostly young men, seated in a circle 
upon the matting, and by a pillar, upon a raised platform, sat a venerable man 
who paid no attention to the crowd that came and went, but seemed dUigently 
employed in speaking to those who sat around him. It was the Grand Cady 
expounding the law. In other parts of the sacred edifice many persons were 
occupied with their prayers. In the outer court children sat around with their 
teachers, and bending their bodies with a regular monotonous motion, read the 
Koran. While we looked at these children thus diligently employed, I could 
not help reminding my friend of the dispute which at that very moment was 
going on in our Christian city as to whether the Bible should not be altogether 
excluded from schools ; whereas here the Koran is the only book out of which 
children learn to read. And it is considered a sufficient reason, and indeed the 
chief one in favor of teaching children to read, that they may be able to study 
the Koran. And in this all the sects of Islam unite ; for there is yet none among 
them which has embraced the singular discipline, that if you would teach the 
religion contained in the holy books, the safest way would be to seal those 
books up from the people until their sacred meaning shall be explained by the 
lips of the mufti. In another portion of the building there was a hospital or 
sanctuary for three hundred blind men, and still another part was divided into 
chambers, where those travellers who come to worship, or to study the religion 
and the laws of the Koran, were provided with a house and sustenance. Stran- 
gers from Syria, Persia, Arabia, the provinces of the Ottoman empire, and 



AJSr EXAMPLE FOR THE CHURCH. 57 

from ■western Africa — eacli nation was furnished witH a compartment of its 
own. Tliis great mosque is in fact tlae imiversity of tlie East, wMtlier men 
from all quarters and even from Constantinople resort to be instructed in tlie 
divinity and tlie jurisprudence of the Koran. For almost a thousand years it 
has been distinguished by the presence of the great teachers of the law and the 
learners who have sat at their feet. There are halls filled with rich depositories 
of manuscripts, presided over by masters who direct the studies of a large 
number of pupils from all parts of the Muslim world. It furnishes an asylum 
for the poor wayfarer, and here the penniless dervish may peacefully pass the 
night upon the mat which is spread for him upon the floor. A certain quan- 
tity of bread and of oil for lights is distributed daily, and the wants of the 
students are provided for every month. The annual revenue for these purposes 
is paid in part by the government and partly derived from the legacies of the 
faithful. 

What an example is here for us Christians ! How have we here suffered 
the followers of a false religion to surpass us in that which belongs to a true faith ! 
Here is every thing combined under one roof, and in the name of one religion 
there is every essential reality ! The children are here instructed in the primi- 
tive elements of piety, as their teachers understand it ; and the young men are 
inducted by venerable teachers into all the mysteries of theology and juris- 
prudence. The worshippers here meet for their daily prayers ; nay, five times 
a day does the faithful Mussulman, without regard to circumstances, perform 
his devotions. Here the blind find a sanctuary and the poor man an asylum. 
The wayfaring man and the stranger who speaks another language is here fed, 
lodged, and cared for ! 

Such should be the Christian Church ; and for these purposes, these very 
purposes, she should gird on her armor and go forth into the world. It is hers 
to teach the child, to confirm the young man, to open the courts of the house 
of prayer, to provide a sanctuary for the sufferer, a refuge for the poor and 
weary, a home for the traveller, and a hospital for the sick ! How has she 
fulfilled these duties ? Let her answer, and beware lest she stand condemned 
in the presence of the Mosque el-Azhar, the Shining, of Grand Cairo. "A city 
8 



58 HASSAJSriN THE HOLT. — RAIN IN EGYPT. 

■which is set on an hill cannot be hid ; and a candle is put iipon a candlestick 
that it may give light to all that are in the house." Alas I there is reason to 
fear lest these Mohammedans, like the queen of the south, and the men of 
Nineveh, " shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and 
condemn them," for even now they come from the utmost parts of the earth to 
hear the wisdom of the teachers in el-Azhar ! 

We visited several other mosques, and among them one which is small, but 
widely celebrated, and esteemed very holy in Cairo, because it contains the 
relics of the two sons of Ali, el-Hassan, and el-Hossayn, and is hence called 
Hassanin. It is said that the head of one of these grandsons of the prophet, 
and the hand of the other, are preserved here. There was a multitude of wor- 
shippers, men and women, in this mosque ; most of whom were civil, though 
some scowled as we passed by ; but when we expressed a wish to "view the 
shrine containing the relics, it was strongly opjDOsed by the guardian of the 
sacred treasures, who was not willing that an infidel should see them. But our 
soldier insisting upon the virtues of our viceregal permission, a tumult began to 
rise, with loud words and angry gesticulations among the crowd, when I in- 
timated to our party that it would be more prudent to desist, and that we ought 
not to offend their religious prejudices, for the mere gratification of our curios- 
ity, especially in a matter of so little importance to us. The whole body of 
Frank infidels then retired, much to the gratification of the keeper of the sacred 
bones, and the satisfaction of the surrounding faithful. 

Feb. Sth. — The weather for several days has been quite uncomfortable, cold 
and with high winds. I was much surprised this morning by something which 
I had never expected to see in Egypt. Eising quite early and sitting at a table 
writing, I heard a peculiar sound, and said to myself, if I were at home or in 
any part of Europe, I should say it was raining ; but that .cannot be, as, accor- 
ding to all the accounts which we have had of the climate, it never rains in 
Cairo. The noise continuing, I had the curiosity to look up, and to mj great 
surprise found that there was really quite a violent gust of rain beating against 
the glass. It continued for some time, and during the whole morning we have had 
occasional rain, and what is singular, wherever the drops fall, upon the clothes. 



WINTER WEATHER IN CAIRO. 59 

or on the boots, they leave a whitish spot, showing that the atmosjDhere is filled 
with an almost impalpable sand. This is borne by the strong wind from the 
desert. It gets in at all the crevices of the windows and doors, and covers 
every thing in the room with a very fine dust that is gi'itty to the feeling. It 
is said also that it will penetrate the cases of a watch, and injui'e the works by 
attrition. I have felt it, for a day or two past, in my eyes, and cannot but 
think that the very frequent cases of opthalmia which we observe among the 
inhabitants may proceed from this cause. As to weather, the whole day has 
been one of the most uncomfortable that I ever experienced ; very windy, cold, 
and with occasional, though not heavy rain, except at the time of which I have 
spoken. From my experience thus far, I am not sure that the climates of the 
countries which I have visited are much superior to our own ; though I might 
hesitate as to Italy. Certainly I have not been able to escape from winter, 
even in Africa. To be sure there is neither snow nor ice, but the effect of the 
wind and cold is nearly as great as if there were. Besides, there is no pro- 
vision made against cold in the houses, and little more in the dress of the 
inhabitants. Those of the poorer sort must suffer much at such seasons, with 
their bare legs and feet and their cotton dresses. But, as regards the bad 
weather which has prevailed since our arrival, several persons who have long 
resided here represent this as the worst winter that they have ever known. 



DR. ABBOTT'S MUSEUM. 

At 10 o'clock we went by appointment to visit the museum of Dr. Abbott, 
who has lived here a number of years as a medical practitioner.. At first he 
was obliged to assume the Turkish costume, which he still continues. He has 
been for a long time collecting Egyptian antiquities, and has certainly a very 
curious and valuable cabinet. Some objects in his collection are very ancient 
and even unique. The house in which he resides is, in itself, a curiosity, and 
as it was formerly inhabited by Mehemet Ali, a description of it may not be 
without interest, and will also serve to show the general character of an Egyp- 



60 DR. Abbott's house. 

tian house. You enter by an arclied gateway, an old turbaned Egyptian porter 
having risen from a kind of bencli or divan, behind the door and vinder the 
archway, where he was sitting crosslegged, smoking, and where he sleeps at 
night, and probably sometimes during the day. You are now in a spacious 
court-yard, which is at present neglected and filled with piles of rubbish, but ' 
which was probably a garden when the Pasha resided here. Crossing this, you 
pass under another arched way, and ascend a flight of stone steps, leading to a 
large, square, covered terrace, the covering or roof being lifted up, towards the 
north, like the lid of an immense chest half raised up. This is for the purpose 
of admitting the northern winds in the summer, at the same time shading the 
terrace from the sun. Three sides of this terrace are bounded by the walls of 
the house ; the fourth, which looks into a court or garden, is filled with long 
wide openings. The place of windows and blinds is occupied by a very hand- 
some wooden fret- work, which effectually excludes the gaze of outside observers, 
while the inmates are enabled to see into the street or garden perfectly well. 
This kind of work is universal in Cairo, and is used for the projecting balconies 
with which every house is furnished ; and the women can here unseen indulge 
their curiosity. This terrace was intended for the women of the harem to walk 
in. By side doors you are admitted from it into spacious rooms. Here there 
are large and deep recesses, in which the floor is raised a foot or a foot and a 
half above the general level. These recesses would hold two or three of our 
ordinary mattresses, and were used as sleeping-places. There is a large window 
in each, filling up the whole of one side ; the upper half consisting of stained 
glass, and the lower of the open wooden fret-work of which I have spoken. 
Another and a much larger room, in addition to these recesses, had an open 
cupola or dome, furnished all around with blinds, to admit the air. To day it 
was cold enough, the wind blowing through in all directions, and there appeared 
to be no arrangement for keeping it out. In this room, around the walls, in the 
recesses, and in glass cases in the centre, was arranged Dr. Abbott's most valua- 
ble collection, containing some of the oldest specimens of man's handiwork in 
the known world. Though a particular description of these would fail to 
interest the general reader, yet some of them are connected Avith fiicts so 




bJ 
en 



a: ■ ■« 
O 

(X 

LJ 



OBJECTS OF HIGH ANTIQUITY. 61 

remarkable, tliat I cannot suffer myself to pass over them in entire silence. 
My description is derived from Dr. Abbott's catalogue. There are thirteen 
Chinese bottles of the usual form, and with inscriptions in the Chinese charac- 
ter, and three bottles of different shape found in Egyptian tombs, some in 
Upper Egypt, but the larger part in Sakkara. " Bottles exactly similar may 
be purchased in the perfume bazaar of Cairo." Here two interesting facts are 
revealed to us. One is, that there was very early intercourse between Egypt 
and China, and the other shows us how little change has taken place, during so 
many thousand years, in the shape of some of the common utensUs employed 
in the every-day life of the Egyptians. There are two ear-rings and a necklace 
of gold, of beautiful workmanship and of the greatest antiquity ; for they have 
the name of Menes, the first king of Egypt, stamped upon them, and probably 
belonged to that monarch, who lived 1300 years before Solomon. But the 
most recent acquisition of Dr. Abbott is a ring bearing the name of Shoofoo, 
which probably corresponds to the Cheops of the Greeks. The ring is of very 
fine gold, and weighs three sovereigns. It is said to have been found in the 
great pyramid of Ghizeh, which would give it an additional interest, as the 
monarch whose name it bears was the builder of that pyramid. The hiero- 
glyphics upon the ring are the same as those which are found in the pyramid. 

There were two mummied bulls, which are extremely rare ; one of which 
has a very large head and horns, and appears with all its antique swathing- 
bands about it. These, probably, are the remains of some of the ancient gods 
of Egypt. My attention was drawrL to an exquisite bronze group of two fighting 
lizards, which in action, attitude, and lifelike resemblance surpassed every piece 
of sculpture of the kind that I remember to have seen. They are said to have 
been found at Thebes, and are supposed to be of ancient Chinese workmanship. 
These, with six or seven hundred objects of great interest, some very curious 
and rare, form a collection of Egyptian antiquities which is probably unsur- 
passed. There are several mummies with their cases in the highest state of 
preservation. All these are shown with the greatest kindness and liberality to 
strangers, and as this unique museum is to be disposed of, I could not help 
thinking it might furnish a rare occasion for the transfer to our own country 



62 AN EGYPTIAN CHABTER PAETT. 

of some of tliose objects of antiquity and art, of wMcli at present we are com- 
paratively destitute. 



ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR VOYAGE ON THE NILE. 

Feb. 9iA.-^The weather continues cold and windy. The thermometer this 
morning in the open air was down to 38° of Fahrenheit before sunrise. This 
is a lower temperature than I had anticipated in Egypt, and probably is 
nearly the extreme ; for a few degrees below this would destroy many of the 
fruit trees. 

"We learned to-day that the application which we had made to the govern- 
ment for a steamboat for the upper Nile cannot be granted, and therefore made 
inquiries for a barge. "We were fortunate in getting one which has a very good 
reputation for speed and comfort ; two English gentlemen who have just 
returned in her give her this character, and also speak very well of the Eais 
and the crew. The whole day was spent in making the contract, and in order- 
ing provisions and other things necessary for the voyage. As we cannot 
expect to accomplish it in less than forty days this was no light undertaking. 
To make a contract with the owner of one of these boats is quite a formidable 
process ; we had to go with him before the American consul who acted as 
interpreter ; a Turkish scribe was also present who wrote out the contract in 
Arabic. Every detail of duty on the part of the Eais was carefully noted down, 
and the settling of these was a fruitful source of controversy throughout ; each 
party striving to make the arrangement as favorable to themselves as possible. 
But this is the only way to deal with these people, they must be strictly bound in 
every particular ; for if there be a loophole for escape they are sure to see and 
take advantage of it. Then the time lost in making a bargain or a contract seems 
to be of no importance to them, and so far from being in a hurry they seem 
disposed to put every thing off as long as they can. We were told that when 
they go to an importing merchant to buy goods the process is often one of two 
or three hours, and the business is seldom finished before coffee is drunk, and 



A TURKISH BATH. 63 

two or three pipes smoked over it. While Mr. Minturn was occupied about 
the contract and the provisions, I went to Dr. Abbott's, Mr. Lieder's, and Mr. 
Shepherd's to secure books for our reading, and have succeeded in getting a 
very good selection for the voyage. 

After the labors of the day we took a Turkish bath. We entered a large 
hollow square, lighted from above, and surrounded by a raised platform, on 
which were mattresses for the bathers to he down upon after coming out of the . 
bath. A number of Egyptians were here, some dressed and some reclining, 
wrapped up in towels and drinking coffee or smoking. A door led into an 
inner apartment, smaller and of a better description. At the entrance I was 
met by a dark-colored man, with no covering except a cloth reaching from the 
waist to the ancles ; he pointed out my place and assisted me to get ready. 
The whole was managed very dexterously by contriving to cover me with 
towels as fast as I took off my clothes, I was then led into an inner room which 
was filled with steam and was quite warm. In the centre was a fountain of warm 
water, around which were a number of persons who were submitting to the 
operation of being bathed. On one side was a recess with a large sqviare bath 
into which a stream of warm water was constantly running. This was a sort 
of better department ; for although all who enter bathe in one common room, 
and are plentifully supplied with warm water, yet very different prices are 
paid. Some have nothing but the water and steam, furnishing their own 
towels, while others are supplied not only with towels and soap, but attendants 
to rub and shampoo them, and even to cut their finger and toe nails if desired, 
and others to hand them pipes and coffee. We of course took all the luxuries of 
the place, which however were not very extravagant, the whole costing only 
about sixty cents. My attendant was very careful of me, holding me fast as I 
walked over the wet marble floors lest I should slip ; leading me into the recess 
before mentioned, he first scrubbed me all over with a coarse hand-glove, 
dipping it constantly in hot water ; with a large bowl full of soap lather he 
then washed me all over thoroughly, throwing the warm water over me most 
copiously. He then motioned to me, for every thing was done by signs, to 
take off the napkin which was round me and get into the bath, for the warmth 



64 GARDEN AND PALACE OF SHOOBRA. 

of -whicli I was now prepared. He now left me for a short time, and returning 
witli fresh, towels of a large size covered me all over with them, and then led 
me into the room where I had undressed ; here I found a mattress prepared, 
covered with a sheet, on which I lay down, my head being supported by a light 
pillow. A cup of coffee was brought, and another man came and proceeded to 
shampoo me ; he began by squeezing gently all the muscles of the body and 
legs, he then took each hand, cracked the joints, got behind me and twisted my 
body with main force in such a way as seemed to me to crack every bone in my 
back — this was a pretty severe process. Last of all he began to rub the soles 
of my feet with his hands and with something like a pumice-stone, and then 
drying the toes thoroughly all was over, and I had been effectually and expen- 
sively bathed ! But during the process we had nargillys or pipes with long 
flexible tubes handed to us, and could smoke at our pleasure. After reposing 
a while and getting gradually cool, we left the bath exceedingly refreshed. 
. Feb. 10th. — The first part of the morning was spent in completing our pre- 
parations ; for as our absence would be one of some weeks, and we were 
obliged to take with us every article that we should require, this business 
demanded great caution and attention. We then went out to the Shoobra gar- 
den, as it is called, one of the country residences of Mehemet Ali, where he is 
at present very infirm and in his second childhood. This palace is about four 
miles distant from Cairo ; the road to it is broad and level, bordered on both 
sides by trees, chiefly sycamores with some acacias, which meet overhead and 
form a complete arbor for the whole distance. They were planted about 
twenty -five or thirty years ago, and must have grown rapidly to produce that 
fine shade so refreshing in the heat of summer. The garden is extensive, laid 
out in squares, and filled with orange and lemon trees. Portions of the walks 
are paved with small black and white pebbles, arranged in figures, so as to 
produce a sort of mosaic work. In the garden is an extensive summer-house, 
built in a hollow square, the interior of which is a reservoir with a fountain in 
the centre, which however was not at play, as the reservoir was empty. The 
effect must be very fine when the whole is in operation during the summer 
months. Around the garden is a wide covered walk paved with marble and 



SERVANTS OF THE PASHA. 65 

opening upon the garden, except at the four corners, where there are as many 
rooms. One of these is a bilHard-room, two others are furnished simply with 
divans as sitting and smoking rooms, but the fourth is one of the most beautiful 
I have ever seen. The sides and the floor are of wood inlaid in the most taste- 
ful manner, like the finest French cabinet work, and highly polished. In the 
centre was a very large chandelier with the drops of colored glass to imitate 
emeralds and rubies, while in different parts of the room were rich damask- 
covered chairs and sofas, and several marble-covered centre-tables. The style 
was altogether French, very rich and very jDcrfectly carried out. But the 
attendants presented a singular contrast ; servants in rich hveries would have 
been quite in keeping, but we were shown through the grounds by several old 
bare-legged Egyptians in their ordinary shabby dress hanging about them, 
partly in rags, and with dirty slippers upon their feet. We saw also another 
summer-house with an alabaster floor, but there was nothing else in it particu- 
larly worthy of observation. The interior of the palace itself we did not see 
as the Pasha was there at the time and unwell. After walking about the gar- 
dens and eating a fine orange or two which we were permitted to pluck for 
ourselves, we had a pleasant ride home. On our way we fell in with two 
Italians coming from the barrage on the river, in which work they are engaged. 
One of them had been here twenty-five years ; he spoke in the highest terms 
of Mehemet All's intelligence and liberality, and feared lest his successor might 
be inferior to him in these respects. 



EMBAKKATION ON THE NILE. 

Feb. 11th. — Sexagesima Sunday. We attended Divine service at the Mis- 
sionary chapel, and heard Mr. Lieder preach. Having determined to go on 
board our boat that night, we visited it to see that all things were in readiness. 
We did not, however, go on board until late in the evening. As we were to 
pass through one of the gates of the city it was necessary that some person in 
the party should have the watchword for the night, no one without it being 
9 



66 OUR NILE BOAT. 

permitted to go through the gates after eight o'clock. For the accommodation 
of strangers this word is always sent to the foreign consuls and to the principal 
person in each of the hotels. In this case it was privately given by him to me 
for the whole party. Upon approaching the gate we were stopped by the 
sentry at some distance, and being ordered in Arabic to draw near and give the 
word, which order was translated to me by our dragoman, I went up and 
whispered Djedda. The gates were opened by this sesame, and we were suffered 
to pass through with our attendants and luggage. The rais had been on board 
with all his crew ready to start that evening, but we were so late that some of 
them had gone to their homes in the port of Boolak, where our boat lay. We 
should, however, have made little headway, as the wind was against us, and 
therefore took to our berths for the night. - 

Our vessel is one of the common Arab boats of the Nile, such as are used for 
passengers ; it is about twenty-five or thirty tons burden, sixty feet long and 
^Iwelve broad ; it is flat-bottomed, or rather the sides are rounded with a broad 
floor but little keel ; it is quite shallow in the hold, being scarcely more than 
four feet deep. This light draught is adapted to the numerous shoals in the 
river, and the necessity for towing on the banks when the wind is ahead. The 
boat is covered by a deck, and there is an after-cabin high enough to stand up 
in with entire comfort. The plan is very convenient and gives us all the 
accommodation we require, each having a separate apartment. She is rigged 
with two masts, one amidships, and the other quite in the bow, raking forward. 
The sails are latteen, with very long yards. Our crew consists of the rais, 
twelve men and a cook ; these with our dragoman constituting our complement. 
As this boat is to be our home for thirty or forty days, we look at its arrange- 
ments with a good deal of interest. 



ANOTHER DAY IN CAIRO. 

Feb. 12th. — The wind is strong this morning, and our boat being on the lee 
shore we should gain nothing by starting. We therefore decide to hire don- 



-1.-J:' 






-f^" 



'WW ' 1/ 




CO 

s 
o 



EL KAi'DBAI. 67 

keys and go to Cairo, to see some objects of interest wticli we have not yet 
visited. After riding from Boolak to Cairo, and tlien througli a number of tlie 
narrow and intricate streets of the city, lined witli tlie small open shops of 
tradesmen and mechanics, and filled with people, camels, and donkeys, we go 
out of the gate called Bab e ISTusr, or the Gate of Victory. Here we came out at 
once to the edge of the desert, or rather to the hills which protect Cairo from 
the inroads of the desert. All is naked and barren, not a tree nor a particle of 
green to be seen. After riding for a mile or so over sand-hills we are in sight 
of the Tombs of the Caliphs, as they are called, but more properly of the Mem- 
look Kings of the Circassian race. They are usually called by the inhabitants 
of Cairo, El Kaidbai, the name of the principal building, which is the tomb 
of the nineteenth king of that dynasty, and who was buried here in 1496. 
There is a large number of these tombs, which consist of a building with a 
mosque attached. The domes and minarets are many of them exceedingly 
beautiful in design, the domes being covered with a raised fretwork of different 
arabesque patterns, and the minarets being lofty and graceful. They are all 
of a light-colored stone, sometimes laid in courses with black and sometimes 
red; the black being brought from the eastern desert, but the red is only 
painted. No one can see these beautiful structures without regretting that they 
are permitted to go to decay ; but they are not merely neglected, for in some 
instances the recent rulers of this unhappy land have taken the materials for 
the erection of modern buildings. The mosques are shut, and the edifices con- 
nected with them are in some instances occupied by a few poor and ragged 
people. The vacant space between and around these structures has been con- 
verted into a burial-ground for the modern inhabitants of Cairo. We have seen 
a number of these cemeteries in and about the city, but this is by far the most 
extensive. In no instance have we found a whole graveyard inclosed, though 
occasionally a small portion is walled in, with a building attached like a 
family tomb for some of the wealthier people. "We rode more than a mile 
through these noble but deserted mausoleums of the Memlook Kings and the 
graveyards around them, entering Cairo again near the citadel. Passing this, 
we took our course south to see some mosques and tombs in that direction. 



68 ISLAND OF RHODA. 

These are by no means so extensive or beautiful as tbe former. One of 
them, however, is still used for worship ; we attempted to enter it, but were 
refused in a very decided way by one of the attendant imaums, as we supposed. 
Mehemet Ali has here erected a burial-place for himself and his family. It is a 
substantial stone building with a dome, and in its general features resembles the 
other tombs ; but it is smaller, and by no means so elaborate in its architectural 
ornaments. Within are monuments erected over one of his wives, several of 
his children, and some other members of his family. Their shape is oblong, 
with square corners, a smaller block set upon a larger one, with a column at 
each end surmounted by a turban in the tombs of the males. These structures 
are painted in blue, red, and green, with gilding intermixed. The floors are 
all covered with handsome Turkish carpets. 

From these tombs we took our course towards the island of Ehoda, passing 
by an aqueduct raised upon arches, which carries the waters of the Nile, elevated 
by a steam-engine, from the river to the citadel. The island of Ehoda is a short 
distance above Cairo, and tradition points it out as the place where Moses was 
found by Pharaoh's daughter. It belongs to the family of Ibrahim Pasha, and 
has upon it several palaces occupied by members of his household and by some 
oflicers in his service. There is upon it an extensive garden, which is a favorite 
place of resort to the inhabitants of Cairo in the summer season. Upon the 
end of this island stands the Mekeas or Nilometer, a column with a graduated 
scale which marks the height of the Mle as it rises. Proclamation of the height 
of the river is made every day publicly in the streets of Cairo, until it attains 
the point when the dams are thrown open to permit the water to fill all the 
canals and to cover the land. We did not see this structure, however, as a 
powder magazine is now connected with it, and an express permit is required. 
But the loss was not very great, as the edifice is said to be much injured, and at 
best there is nothing to be seen but a marked column in a well. 

We returned to the city and went to a mosque now in a neglected state and 
partly in ruins, but said to be the oldest in Cairo, having been built A. d. 879. 
It is extremely interesting on account of its architecture and age, having been 
founded ninety years before any other part of the city. It is called the Djamee- 



MOSQUE OP TAYLOON. ' 69 

t-e-Tayloon, from its founder Ahmed eben e Tayloon. Its plan is said to be 
the same with that of the Caaba at Mecca. If we felt surprise to see the tombs 
of the Memlook kings permitted to go to decay, we were much more astonished 
at the apathy and barbarism of a government that could suffer so splendid a 
monument of the piety and taste of antiquity to fall into ruin, and that too in 
the very heart of the city, when a small expenditure would have been sufficient 
to keep it in repair. As it seemed to us, Mehemet Ali would have done well 
to have reserved a portion of the immense sum which he is lavishing upon the 
great mosque in the citadel for the restoration of this magnificent structure. 
We had been quite anxious to see this edifice on account of the observation of 
Sir Gr. Wilkinson, that here was proof of the tise of the pointed arch three hun- 
dred years before it was introduced into England. The arches of the colonnades 
and also of the windows were pointed. The windows were filled with a most 
beautiful description of tracery, each window being different. This supplied 
the place of stained glass, and served admirably to subdue the light ; we have 
resolved, if possible, to- procure patterns of these windows, believing that they 
may be used with good effect in our ecclesiastical architecture at home. 

After examining this most interesting ruin we returned through the city 
to Boolak, where our boat lay. On embarking we learned that our fellow- 
travellers from Malta, Mrs. Gruthrie and her two sons, had come on board 
another boat which they had taken for their voyage up the Nile, and which 
lay near ours. As they had not had dinner jorepared we invitedj;hem to dine 
with us. 

Our rais had determined when the wind abated at night to get his boat to 
windward on the opposite shore, as he might then have some chance to tow if 
the wind continued unfavorable. To cheer the spirits of the crew for this 
beginning of the voyage, their musical and saltatorial powers were put into 
requisition, and we were treated to the first specimen of Arabian song and 
dance. As we dined late they began before we had finished our dinner ; we 
had heard the drum, the pipe, and the monotonous song for some time. When 
we went out we found them forward seated in a circle upon their hams, while 
one, in puris naturalih-as, was dancing in the middle. The musical instruments 



70 ARAB MUSIC AND DANCE. 

were two drums of earthenware, shaped like demijohns mth large necks, the 
bottom being broken off square and covered with parchments ; the drums had 
two different notes, about a fifth apart. The next instrument, the Arab pipe, 
consisted of two reeds bound together, one long, which gave a tone like the 
drone of a bagpipe ; the shorter one had holes like a flageolet, and of course its 
compass was very small, but the Arabian tunes seem to require no greater. 
Both reeds were blown together, and the effect was like that of a bagpipe, only 
the notes were fewer and not so shrill, though quite as harsh. The third 
instrument was a kind of metal castanet. Part of the time the men sang in 
chorus, marking time by clapping their hands. Occasionally one would sing 
a verse, the others joining in the chorus. The dance consisted chiefly in move- 
ments of the body, which were neither decent nor graceful. The only move- 
ment of the feet consisted in an occasional turn and stamp. The whole put me 
in mind of an Indian dance, but was less varied and expressive. The music 
was barbarous, and the effect to a civilized looker-on, after the first curiosity 
was gratified, any thing but pleasing. At the end the amphibious dancer often 
plunges into the river to cool himself We preferred rest to the performance, 
and soon retired after a fatiguing day's work. 

Feb. ISi/i. — On rising this morning,, we found our boat on the opposite side, 
bat we had made little or no progress up the river. The wind was still ahead, 
and the men began to trade the boat. This is done by attaching to the head of 
the mainmast a long line, which is let out or drawn in, as the indentations of 
the coast and the shoals of the river may require. Our progress was much 
retarded, not only by the force of the wind, but also by the numbers of the 
boats which lay tied to the shore, and which we had to pass. Where the bank 
was sufficiently high this impediment was got over with comparative ease. 
The long latteen yards were let down horizontally, and as our towing rope 
passed over them they were raised again, and the rope was thus easily tripped 
over the head of the mast. But when the banks were low, the rope had to be 
passed lapon the outside of the boats in succession, our boat holding on to one 
of them in the mean time by a hawser, to prevent being carried down with 
the stream. As we were thus dragging slowly along shore, we came to a 




% • \ 



"-^m' •" 



EFFECTS OF A TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT. 71 

steam-engine, with its building erected on the very edge of the bank, for the 
purpose of raising water for the fields of one of the Pashas. Here was a 
striking instance of the utter neglect of the government in regard to the conve- 
nience of the people. A towing path might have been made o\;tside of the 
building with the utmost ease ; but there was nothing except a mass of broken 
stone from the wall to the water's edge. And when our men attempted to 
carry the rope around the wall, a guard came out to prevent it, lest the rope 
should injure the corner of the wall. They were therefore obliged to take it 
on board, and pole the boat for some distance, which was done with a good deal 
of difficulty and much detention. On the same grounds also there were trees 
and bushes of no special value, which greatly interfered with the towing rope, 
and which, under similar circumstances in our country, or in any country 
where the convenience of the masses of the people was cared for in the least, 
would have been cut down. But here no one dares touch them, and our poor 
fellows had to work their way as well as they could. In numberless instances 
we have seen the same evidence of the utter neglect of the great body of the 
people, on the part of the government. With all the labor of our crew, we 
made only about four or five miles to-day, and at night we were a little beyond 
Ghizeh, and opposite old Cairo. Fearing the continuance of the head wind to- 
morrow, we have resolved to embrace the opportunity of visiting the pyramids. 
We shall let our boat go on, and join her some miles up the river. 



FIRST VISIT TO THE PYRAMIDS. 

Feb. 14:th, Wednesday. — This has been a memorable day to us, on account of 
the very interesting excursion which we have made to the pyramids. The wind, 
as we had anticipated, was still ahead, and we knew that our boat could not be 
tracked more than six or eight miles, and that we could join her by riding 
alono- the bank of the river. Our dragoman was sent off at sunrise to Old 
Cairo to order donkeys, which were ferried over for us to the opposite shore at 
Ghizeh, and after an early breakfast the small boat took us thither. 



72 EGG OVENS. — THE EGYPTIAN HEN. 

At Ghizeh there are extensive establishments for hatching chickens by 
means of artificial lieat. Whether or not this custom is peculiar to Egjrpt I 
am not informed ; but it is very certain that it has existed here from a very 
remote antiquity, even as far back as the times of the Pharaohs. Its origin 
may possibly be found in a peculiarity of the Egyptian hen. This bird does 
not differ from those with which we are familiar, except that it is generally 
much smaller. It is said, however, that while it lays eggs freely, it manifests 
no disposition to sit upon them. To determine the question whether this is a 
consequence of the climate or belongs to the breed, a French savant has pro- 
posed to try the experiment of changing a certain number of fowls between 
France and Egypt, to see if the one portion would lose their habit of hatching, 
and the other regain it. The hatching is effected in extensive ovens warmed to 
a moderate temperature, about 104° of Fahrenheit. We were informed that 
the men employed in this business know nothing about a thermometer, but 
habit enables them to judge accurately of the heat of their ovens. It requires 
many years of practice to become acquainted with this art, and it is perpetuated 
in certain families. Each oven contains from three to four thousand eggs, and 
it requires from twenty to twenty-five days to hatch the chickens, about a fifth 
part producing nothing. When the ovens are opened, which is about February 
or March, the country people around bring in their eggs, and for every hundred 
they receive at the proper time fifty chickens, the balance being the profit of 
the oven. It is said that in the course of the year 24,000,000 of chickens are 
produced from two hundred ovens, about the number found in Egypt. On one 
occasion we went through one of these establishments, and therefore at the 
present time we were not long detained in Ghizeh from the far more interesting 
objects we had in view. 

Having made our preparations for the day's excursion, we mounted our use- 
ful little animals, and as we rode through the narrow dirty streets of the town 
and passed by a large building, a familiar sound assailed us, but one which 
seemed strange and almost startling amidst such scenes and such a population. 
A full band was playing martial airs. We were informed that it was the 
Pasha's band of Arab musicians, practising under their French teacher. In an 



THE PYRAMIDS IN THE DISTANCE. 73 

instant Broadway, tbe City Hall, the crowded side-walks, and a military display, 
shut Ghizeh. from my view ; but association was at work, and quickly changed 
this scene to one which was not so easily displaced, my home, my church, and 
beloved family and friends far, far away. 

The way to the pyramids is varied, according to the condition of the river. 
"When the Nile is at its height the traveller is obliged to resort to boats to make 
his way from one island to another. For the whole face of the country, at such 
times, is an inland sea, dotted with little islands, upon which the houses peep 
out pictuTesquely from clumps of beautiful palm-trees. At other times, when 
the river is not yet risen to its height, or has already begun to fall, the traveller 
makes his way along the banks of the canals, and by a very circuitous path is 
enabled to avoid the impediment presented by the water. But at the time of 
our visit the river was suf&ciently low to offer us a more direct route, so that 
we crossed the deep and dry bed of the great canal. All the time the Pyramids 
were in sight, and it was singular to note the deception created by their great 
size and the clearness of the atmosphere combined. At first they appeared 
neither very high nor very distant ; so that we expected to reach them at the 
end of half an hour's ride. But after the lapse of this time they seemed no 
nearer nor larger, and we patiently rode on over the fields for another hour. 
Even then there was scarcely a perceptible difference, and it was not until the 
end of the second hour that they were evidently less distant and larger than 
at the outset. Arrived at the confines of the great sand-heap which sur- 
rounds the rock upon which the Pyramids are built, we began to ascend, our 
donkeys sinking in the sand at every step. At no great distance from the first 
Pyramid, in a deep sandy hollow, stands the world-famed Sphinx, which, how- 
ever, we now passed rapidly in our anxiety to reach the foot of the great Pyra- 
mid. Nor was it till we stood at the north-eastern angle, and looked up at the 
immense pile above us, and observed that the first course of the innumerable 
layers of huge stones was nearly as high as ourselves, that we could form any 
just idea of the vast and solid proportions of these ancient and mysterious 
giants of the desert. There we stood, gazing upward, the eye glancing along 
from step to step, and almost wearied with reaching the summit of these won- 
10 



74 MANNER OF BUILDING THE PTKAMIDS. 

derful creations, until we seemed to ourselves as pigmies, or only as so many 
insects at tlie foot of a liuge ant-hill. 

As we stood at tlie base of the great Pyramid of Cheops, I could compare 
its present condition with no other emblem save the frame of some mighty 
giant, divested of the skin and outer integuments, and presenting only the 
muscular form of the original structure. This accounts for the singular and 
apparently ridiculous notion of Herodotus that the Pyramids were iinished from 
the top downwards. For after the immense gradations, or courses, were laid, 
of stones quarried in the neighborhood, or brought from the hills Gebel Mokat- 
tum, upon the opposite side of the river, the builders would be enabled to 
ascend to the summit of their huge skeleton. Here, by means of inclined 
planes, they could draw up the polished apex itself, and afterwards, descending 
course after course, finish the work by fixing the stones of marble or of granite, 
highly polished on one side, into the face of the whole Pyramid. That this 
was the mode of construction, is not only evident from the ancient accounts, 
but from the present appearance of the Pyramid of Cephrenes, which still pre- 
sents the polished surface for one quarter of its height from the summit down- 
wards. In the Pyramid of Mycerinus, this is made still more evident, from the 
ruins of rose-colored granite which surround it. If any one is curious to know 
why these great works should have been so far destroyed, the building of the 
city of Cairo furnishes the answer ; for these quarries were the nearest and the 
most tempting to the builders. We have an account of the work of destruction, 
recorded by Abdallatif. He says that "when Melic Alalaliz Othman ben-Yousuf 
succeeded his father, he allowed himself to be persuaded by some senseless 
courtiers to demolish the Pyramids, and that he sent thither miners, sappers, 
and quarriers, under the direction of some of the principal ofiicers and princes 
of his court, with orders to overturn it — the red Pyramid, viz., that of Myce- 
rinus. To execute the orders with which they were charged, they went and 
encamped near the Pyramid, and collected a number of laborers, whom they 
maintained at an enormous expense. Here they remained for eight whole 
months, laboring hard to execute their commission ; but their utmost efforts, 
with people raising with picks and levers above, and pulling with ropes and 



FRUITLESS ATTEMPT TO DESTROY THEM. 75 

cables below, could not remove above one or two stones a day : and after tbe 
stone was down at the foot of the Pyramid, they were obliged to break it in 
pieces in order to carry it out of the way ; and one of the engineers is reported 
to have said, that although he were to get several thousand pieces of gold, he 
could not readjust one of these stones in its former place. In fine, they abau- 
doned the attempt without demolishing the Pyramid ; and in the opinion of 
Abdallatif, without much reducing its dimensions. This foolish attempt is 
stated to have been made in the year of the Hegira 598, of Christ 1196. Hence 
the coating of the large Pyramid of Cheops, two-thirds of that of Cephren, and 
the greater part of many of the smaller Pyramids, have all been carried away, 
and may now be sought for in the immense causeway and the innumerable 
arches which he constructed between Ghizeh and the Pyramids, and in the cita- 
del, the mosques, and the walls of Cairo." The remains of this Causeway we 
saw near the Pyramids, but the greater part of it upon the lower ground, has 
been swept away by the overflowing of the Nile. 



THE ASCENT OF THE GREAT PYRAMID. 

We now prepared ourselves for the ascent of the Pyramid, and this, we 
were told, and could easily see, was a work of some difiiculty and labor. A 
host of Arabs proffered their services, and from these our dragoman selected 
three for each of us, as it is not only necessary to be assisted by a man at each 
side, but sometimes also by a somewhat unceremonious push. Besides, the 
Arabs, by long practice, have acquired great facility, and an exact knowledge 
of the easiest way ; for the ascent is not direct, but a zigzag course must be 
pursued, which the guides point out to you. Sometimes, when it is attempted 
by ladies, a wooden step is taken along, which is planted by the Arabs at the 
most difi&cult j)laces. A person of great activity might, and sometimes does go 
up without assistance, and the way may be accomplished by an Arab in five 
minutes, which would occupy an ordinary person, with sufficient time to rest, 
nearly half an hour. A little more than half-way up, there is a spot where the 



76 PEOSPECT FROM THE SUMMIT. 

stones have been dug out and thrown down, so as to form a small recess, wliicli 
is used by travellers as a resting-place. Thus we ascended, setting our faces 
towards tke face of the rock, and seldom looking down at the "pernicious" 
depth below us, though we sometimes looked up at the gigantic flight of steps, 
which seemed to mount into the very skies. We were obliged to stop frequently 
and take breath for a new trial, for the labor was very great, with the sun 
beating fiercely down upon the heated rock. The discomfort of the toil would 
have been far greater, but for a refreshing breeze that blew all the while, and 
which became a strong wind when we reached the summit. This was about 
thirty feet square, with a layer of stone blocks, somewhat raised in the centre, 
and which serve the weary traveller as a seat to rest upon while he contem- 
plates the unique and almost boundless prospect around and below him. "We 
occupied ourselves with this, instead of imitating the poor ambition which had 
led so many travellers to carve their perishable names upon the blocks which 
furnished our resting-place. 

Stretching away to the north and east, the eye rested with delight upon one 
of the most fertile spots in the world, the valley of the Nile, teeming with 
fruitfulness, while the wonderful river, the source of all this wealth, was wind- 
ing its way to the sea, leaving behind it innumerable shining lakes or canals, 
glistening in the sunshine. On the opposite side of the river, gleamed the 
white houses, and the towers and minarets of Cairo, with the island of Ehoda ; 
while nearer still, between us and the city, were countless villages, embosomed 
amid the palm-trees. At our feet lay the irregular hillocks of yellow sand, and 
the mysterious monument of the Sphinx. The contrast on the west was won- 
derful enough ; for there the yellow sand-hills of the Libyan desert, without 
one particle of vegetation, presented the aspect of eternal sterility. There was 
something awfully sublime, and almost fearfal, in this intense desolation. 
Upon the south, the Pyramids of Sakkara, Abousier, and Dashour, seemed 
spread out like so many tents, or like some great encampment upon the edge of 
the desert. 

"While here, one of our Arab guides, for a small compensation, offered to 
descend the Pyramid and go to the top of that of Cephrenes. In a few moments 



VISIT TO THE INTERIOR. 77 

he started, apparently upon the run, down the side of the steep precipice, and 
very soon we saw him, like some small insect, crawling up the side of the 
opposite monument. He accomplished the first portion of his task with great 
ease, until he came to the polished surface of the last part of his singular jour- 
ney, and here he must have found small holes in which he could fix his feet, 
until we saw him standing upon the summit. 

After feasting our eyes upon the magnificent prospect around us, and 
endeavoring to fix its main features for ever in our memories, we began to pre- 
pare ourselves for the descent. This certainly seemed to lis, at the first, a 
doubtful, if not a perilous enterprise. For, standing where we could not 
distinguish the steps, and could only see the immense inclined plane, and the 
apparently interminable distance below, it certainly required some firniness of 
nerve, and a resolute attention to the step next before us, to remove the impres- 
sion of danger. The Arabs were very attentive, and our nerves pretty firm, 
and we accomplished the downward much sooner than the upward journey. 

"When we had taken some refreshment, which was now very grateful, we were 
ready to visit the interior. "We were advised to lay aside a portion of our gar- 
ments, as the heat within was said to be very great, and we should need them 
again upon our return to the open air. "We went over some broken mounds of 
rubbish upon the north side, and found the entrance situated about one-third of 
the way up the Pyramid. It was lined with slabs of porphyry, well fitted to 
each other, and admirably polished. The whole of the passage was lined in 
the same manner. After descending a short distance a sloping way, in which 
notches were cut to fix the feet more firmly, we came to the King's Chamber. 
In this is the Sarcophagus, which is now somewhat injured, and the cover has 
been removed. It gave back a clear ringing sound, on being struck with a 
stone. Upon our return, we found the garments we had left behind us by no 
means uncomfortable when resumed. 

Thence we went to look at the Sphinx. Most persons have, probably, a 
general idea of the appearance of this monument. It stands to the east of the 
Pyramids, on a lower level, and has become imbedded in sand, with the excep- 
tion of the head and the upper part of the body. Though the face is much 



78 THE SPHINX. 

mutilated, tlie general expression may still be gatliered, and is one indicative 
of great placidity. Some years ago an excavation was attempted by a party of 
gentlemen, headed by Caviglia. They succeeded in digging away the sand 
from the lower part, and though the sand has been again blown in, we have the 
following account of its appearance at that time : " The whole of it is cut out 
of the rock, which is calcareous, easily sectile, and abounding in small bivalve 
shells ; and probably the large excavations in front, and on each side of it, fur- 
nished part of the stones for the building of the pyramids. The back is about 
120 feet long ; the elevation of the head from 30 to 35 feet above the sand ; 
the paws were said to stretch out upon the platform in front of it to the distance 
of 50 feet. Between the paws were found the remains of a trilithic temple, 
adorned with hieroglyphics. In front of the temple was a granite altar, with 
four horns, and the marks of fire, from the bui'ning of incense, were visible 
upon it. Several Greek inscriptions were found on the paws of the Sphinx, 
but none of them older than the second century. One of them is signed 
Arrianus, and is merely an address by the poet of that name, to the Sphinx, as 
the guardian genius of the King of Egypt." 

ORIGINAL DESIGN OF THE PYRABIIDS. 

The purpose for which the Pyramids were built, must remain, as it has 
done for long ages, involved in the mystery of the fabulous past. But, though 
modern opinion toay have undergone some change on this point, there was 
long a unanimous consent that they were the gigantic burial places of the 
princes who had built them. All the Greek and Roman writers who have 
mentioned the Pyramids, have either held or repeated this opinion, whether 
derived from the relations of the ancient priests, or from the general opinion of 
the people of Egypt. In after times, when examinations of the interior were 
made, there was the same agreement, upon the result of such researches, among 
the Arabian writers. In the Pyramids which were opened by the orders of 
the Caliphs, there were always found mummies, either of men or of animals, 
the latter being probably some portion of the host of Egyptian gods. 



DESIGN OF THE PYRAMIDS. 79 

But in tMs century, discoveries have been made which, tend greatly to shake, 
if not to destroy, the long received opinion that the Pyramids' were the burial- 
places and the monuments of princes. In 1^17, Belzoni having succeeded in 
reaching the interior of the second Pyramid of Ghizeh, found in the great Sar- 
cophagus bones, which were forwarded to the Academy of Medicine in London, 
and pronounced to be the remains of the skeleton of a bull or ox. This 
discovery surprised the scientific world, and was so opposed, in its consequences, 
to the opinion hitherto universally received, that it encountered, at first, no 
little incredulity. But a new discovery of Belzoni's, at Thebes, set the matter 
at rest ; for he there found, in the Tombs of the Kings, in the valley Biban-el- 
Melook, not the mere bones and fragments, but the entire mummy of a bull, 
perfectly preserved in its bituminal casings. The labors of Colonel Howard 
Vyse afterwards placed the matter beyond dispute, and the enormous size of 
the Sarcophagi, in some cases, is a sufficient proof that they were never designed 
for human mummies. 

But a more interesting speculation as to the original design of the Pyramids 
has been given to the world by a modern French writer, Persigny, who sup- 
poses them to have been built in order to arrest the progress of the sands from 
the desert, and thus to have had the great patriotic purpose of preserving the 
cultivated fields of Egypt from destruction. This theory he does not consider 
at all inconsistent with the actual devotion of these immense structiires to the 
objects of superstition or royal pride. For while, on the one hand, the sagacity 
of the priests, to whom he attributes the plan and the accomplishment of these 
stupendous undertakings, would perceive the vast accession of strength which 
they might gain by enlisting in their cause the piety of the nation, they would 
not fail to discern their advantage also in flattering the pride of the monarch, 
who would thus the more willingly bend his energies and those of the people 
to the completion of his own migh'ty sepulchre. 

The ingenious author tells us that during four thousand years the Pyramids 
have been considered merely as tdmbs ; but this very opinion reveals the exist- 
ence of a great secret, and shovfs that the Egyptian priesthood kept back from 
the world the true purpose of these mighty fabrics. A tomb, requiring nearly 



80 THE THEORY OF PEESIGNT. 

as much labor, experience, and material, as tlie building of a great citj, is 
almost an inconceivable idea, and indicates the existence of a deeper mystery. 
He supposes that he may have discovered the great secret of their construction, 
and unravelled the riddle of the Sphinx which stands near their base. 

Before his visit to the Pyramids themselves, M. de Persigny became con- 
vinced that if his theory were true, that they were intended as barriers to pro- 
tect the valley of the Nile against the irruption of the sands of the desert, they 
would satisfy certain conditions. As, for example, they would be found upon 
the borders of the desert ; they would be chiefly opposed to the desert on the 
side of the Libyan chain ; and as the Libyan mountains are the chief barrier of 
Egypt against the sands, the Pyramids would be found in the gorges where the 
protection of the mountains failed. Again, the Libyan chain has but three 
valleys which join the plain of the Nile, one fertile, and the other two desert 
and covered with moving sands. The opening of these deserts, or their mouth, 
into the plain, would therefore be the place to look for the Pyramids. In 
different situations, they would correspond in size and number to the greatness 
of the danger, and be grouped accordingly. Every group would present the 
largest Pyramid in the lowest, and the smallest in the most elevated position. 
And lastly, where the Arabs had demolished these artificial barriers, the plain 
would exhibit j^roofs of the want of its defences. 

Upon examination, it was found that the position, number, size, &c., of the 
Pyramids corresponded to these conditions, and that they therefore might be 
supposed to present, on a great scale, such opposition to the encroachm.ents of 
the sand, as I have already alluded to in speaking of the rows of wild fig-trees 
planted in Lower Egypt for the same purpose. (See page 35.) 

In the neighborhood of the Sphinx and the Pyramids, there are numerous 
excavations in the rock, which, however, we had not time to visit, as night was 
approaching, and we had a long distance to ride in order to reach our boat, 
which was already gone up the river before us. And in addition to this reason 
for not making a longer stay at this time, it was our intention to visit again 
these remarkable monuments upon our return, and make farther observations, 
— which we were happily able to accomplish. 



THE SAILOKS OF THE NILE. 81 

Feb. 17th. — We rose early this morning at daybreak to rouse tlie rais and 
crew, and get the boat under way. As there was no wind the crew were 
obliged to tow the boat. Crossing the river we unfortunately got into a strong 
current, and where the footing on shore was so muddy that the men had little 
or no foothold ; we therefore lost ground and were obliged to recross the river. 
"When the men came on board for this purpose they were in very bad humor, 
and the rais was little better. After a good deal of apparently angry discus- 
sion, the whole crew talking together, the rais flew at one man who was push- 
ing with a pole and threw him overboard. The poor fellow had to swim for 
it ; but luckily for him the small boat was towing astern and he got into it. 
It seems that he had answered the rais impertinently, and this was a short-hand 
method of punishment. He got back into the large boat at last, and, dripping 
wet as he was, went to work without saying a word. He had no change of 
clothes, but one of the men at our suggestion lent him a woollen wrapper till 
his blue cotton dress was dried. The Arab sailors on the Nile have hard work 
and wretched fare, and seem to be in all respects worse oif than the slaves in 
the South. They all sleep on deck exposed to the weather, wrapped up in a 
coarse brown woollen robe, which is their bed by night and their outer garment 
when not at work in the water ; when they work with it on they tie it around 
them with a cord. It reaches down to the ankles, has wide sleeves, and resem- 
bles a woman's dress rather than a man's. Indeed, the greater part of the 
lower order of Arabs look, as they sit squatting upon the ground, or even as 
they walk about, like old women in dirty and ragged brown cloaks. It seems 
odd enough to see sailors at work on deck and even going aloft in this trim. 
The incumbrance appears inconsistent with efBicient labor, and yet these poor 
fellows often work hard at the rope when tracking the boat on shore, or on 
board when rowing and pushing with the pole. Beneath this dress they 
usually wear a coarse blue or brown shirt. Their legs and feet are bare. They 
are all excellent swimmers and take to the water as easily as dogs, stripping 
themselves in a moment when necessary, and plunging into the river to shove 
the boat or to carry a rope on shore. Their fare consists of a coarse brown 
bread, which lies in a pile upon the deck, and is broken small into a large 
11 



82 FARE OF THE SAILORS.' — NILE SCENES. 

■wooden bowl, and oyer this they pour a mess of soup made of peas, water, and 
salt ; tliis is their whole fare, and is prepared for them twice a day. They all 
eat out of the same vessel, some with s^Doons and some with their fingers. ISTo 
meat is provided for them, nor any change of diet that we could hear of After 
their meal they have a few pipes, which they smoke passing them from one to 
the other. Notwithstanding this wretched provision for their comfort, they 
seem contented and even cheerful. One of their amusements, of which they 
appear to be very fond, is singing and dancing to the sound of the two-reeded 
pipe and the drums which I described. The drums are beaten with the fingers 
of both hands, and have different notes, like kettle-drums. Occasionally there 
are castanets of some metallic substance. 

Our men have worked well to-day, and we have made some progress. We 
have given them coffee twice after their two meals, and they seem to be quite 
delighted with the treat. The coffee is made strong, and they drink it after the 
Oriental fashion, grounds and all, for it is pounded very fine. The cups, how- 
ever, scarcely contain so much as a large wine-glass. 

To-day, as we sailed up the river, the left bank presented a peculiar appear- 
ance. The rocky barrier of the valley seemed to approach the Nile, as if the 
desert were ready to encroach upon it. The rocks are of a yellow sand color, 
and are broken into fantastic shapes of hillocks and mounds. Many of them 
approach so near the pyramidal form, that I thought the idea of the pyramids 
might have been naturally suggested by these formations. 

At a turn in one place upon the river, we could see a fleet of boats following 
us, while we looked directly across the level country, between us and them ; 
and as they were going before the wind, the latteen sails had a most singular 
and beautiful effect ; for they seemed like a flock of huge birds with their wings 
lifted up, as if about to take flight. 

After dinner, when the men went to towing again, we took a turn of walk- 
ing on the shore, and found the land fertile and well covered A\'ith a beautiful 
growth of wheat, sprouting up green. At sunset, as there was no wind and 
the men needed rest, we cast anchor for the night in the middle of the river. 

Feb. 18th. — This morning our boat was under way before sunrise, and as 



MEETING WITH FRIENDS. 83 

there was no wind the men Avere towing on shore. Between seven and eight 
o'clock we saw a boat sailing down stream, and soon discovered her to be a 
passenger boat with some foreign ensign ; but we could not at first ascertain of 
what nation, as the flag hung close to the staff. We hoisted our banner, and 
soon after saw the small boat preparing to leave for the purpose of boarding us. 
"We now made out the stripes of our national banner, and were in anxious 
expectation as to whom of our countrymen we should have the pleasure of 
greeting at this far distance iiom home. As the boat drew near, I made out by 
the aid of the glass, my friend the Eev. Mr. Spencer, and soon had the great 
satisfaction of grasping his hand, and of seeing at once that his health was 
greatly improved since the time I had met. him at Paris. He was accompanied 
by his travelling companion, young Mr. Pratt. The interview was very delight- 
ful, though of necessity a short one ; for their boat was going down stream and 
left us rapidly. We had time, however, to write a few lines to be forwarded by 
him from Cairo to our -families at Eome. After mutual farewells and good 
wishes we separated, expecting to meet again in Jerusalem. 

The same range of hills that we saw yesterday upon the left, still continued, 
and sometimes came down to the river's edge. They exhibited perfectly hori- 
zontal strata of sand-colored stone, in some places forming a level table, and in 
others broken into mounds, the pyramidal shape still preponderating. At 
length we came to a difficult passage in the river, which we had hard work to 
get through, in consequence of the strength of the stream and a head wind 
which had risen. The sailors stripped and jumped into the water, in order to 
carry the towing rope from one shoal to another. In one place they were all 
compelled to swim, and the current was so strong that two of them were swept 
away, and would have been in some danger, had they not succeeded in getting 
on board a small boat that was following us just in the rear. At last, however, 
by dint of pushing with poles in addition to the towing-rope, we resisted the 
stream and got far enough to windward to make sail. 

This being Sunday, after the noise and confusion of the preceding operation 
was over, we retired to our cabin to read together the service of the church, arid 
in our prayers to offer petitions for our dear families in Rome and in America. 



84 MODE OF CAERYING WATER. 

Upon returning to the deck we found tliat the town of Benesouef was in sight, 
at the estimated distance of seventy-seven miles from Cairo. Here we sent on 
shore for some fresh provisions, but did not ourselves land. But from the boat 
we could see quite a number of women coming down to the river with their 
jars for water. At every village we had noticed the same thing. It is astonish- 
ing to mark with what dexterity the business is accomplished. The jars are 
quite large, and must contain six or seven gallons. They are broad upon the 
ground, but have narrow mouths, with a handle upon each side, something like 
an ancient amphora. The women wade into the river \ip to their knees, drag- 
ging the jars after them, which they fill and pull out in the same way. Eeach- 
ing the beach, they stoop down upon one knee and lifting the jar to the other, 
very dexterously place it on the head, so balanced that no hand is needed to 
support it. They then rise up perfectly erect, and walk off with as much appa- 
rent ease as if they carried no burden. Sometimes, when there are two, they 
contrive to help each other, the first putting the jar upon her companion's head 
while she kneels, then rises ; and the first having now placed her jar upon her 
knee, the second stoops down, keeping her head and jar erect, and helps her 
companion in turn to lift her load. This has been one of the occupations of 
the women of this land from the earliest ages, and has probably been performed 
by them in precisely the same manner from generation to generation. 

This evening we have kept under sail with a fair wind. About 10 o'clock, 
as we had got aground for a short time, the boat in which were our countryman 
Mr. Crosby, his wife, her mother, and Mr. Churchill, took the lead of us. We 
have been in company since we left Naples, and shall probably arrive at Thebes 
about the same time. 

Feb. X^ili. — This morning on awaking I found we were at anchor in the 
river, the wind having died away in the night. At sunrise the rope was carried 
on shore, and the men began to tow. After a while we came to a branch of 
the river which was to be crossed. The stream ran through it with considera- 
ble force, and we had some diificulty in getting over. While it was shallow 
the poles were used, but when it became too deep for this operation, the men 
stripped and jumped overboard, the first swimming with the rope in his mouth, 



GEATUITY TO THE SAILORS.' — ^EL FASHEK. 85 

the others following and helping. The morning was quite cool, the thermome- 
ter indicating 47 ° ; but the poor fellows did not seem to mind it. They swam 
with great strength against the stream, and on landing pulled stoutly till the 
object was accomplished. They then came shivering a little with the cold, and 
put on their few garments, which hardly seemed a sufficient protection. They 
are an enduring, hardy, and hard-faring race. The wind soon after came out 
favorably, and we got under full sail, and the sailors took their meagre breakfast 
of hard coarse bread softened with pea-soup, such as I described, eating, some 
with spoons, and some with their fingers only, all out of the same wooden bowl. 
This morning, for a rarity, they had some green leeks or onions, which gave an 
unwonted relish to their breakfast, and which were probably bought yesterday 
at Benesouef "W"e yesterday distributed three dollars amongst the rais and 
crew, giving the first one dollar and the men two dollars among them. This is 
a customary gratuity on arriving at a few of the principal places upon the river. 
With this sum they were enabled to buy some meat and a few other luxuries, 
and we had the satisfaction of seeing them eat what was to them a good dinner 
of animal food, though it would have been hard enough fare for us ; for it was 
only warm boiled beef of the buffalo. They, however, were thankful for it, 
and seemed to enjoy it with great glee. 

We sailed on famously, and about nine o'clock came in sight of El Fasher, 
a considerable town about a mile distant from the river, on the right hand side. 
It looked very pretty with its minarets and one or two cupolas amongst the 
palm-trees. One minaret especially had a very good effect with its yellow stone 
shaft springing from the midst of a fine clump of palms. As we sail along we 
see a number of storks or herons, standing like posts ahead of us, but as we 
approach they raise themselves heavily, with outstretched neck and legs, to 
alight again a little farther on. Out boat too is constantly visited by a very 
pretty little bird of variegated blads and white plumage, and which alights 
familiarly on deck to pick up the crumbs, and as it is never disturbed it seems 
to have little or no fear of man. We have noticed the same species all the way 
from Alexandria. The doves too occasionally fly from the shore to see what 
they can find on board, and walk about, or light on the rigging, without fear. 



86 A SAND STOEM. — EGYPTIAN DOGS. 

We have liad anotlier difficult brancli of the river to cross. The -wind being 
directly against us and blowing very fresh, it was some time before the towing- 
rope could be got to the other side, and we were almost out of patience with 
the bungling manner in which the sailors went to work. Had it not been for 
the perseverance of my friend, Mr. M., in urging the rais to the accomplishment 
of this object, he would have tied his boat to the shore and have waited for the 
wind to subside, by which means we should have lost a great deal. When we 
were once past this narrow place, and had towed on for a while, a bend in the 
river enabled us to carry sail again. In the latter part of the afternoon the 
whole atmosphere became thick with a seeming haze, which was fine sand 
blown from the desert. The sun and sky were completely obscured. The 
wind was so fresh, and the banks of the river were so much hidden by the 
haze, that our rais was afraid to carry sail, though the wind was directly in our 
favor. For some time we went before it under bare poles, but through the per- 
severance of my friend, and by his ingenious contrivance, a small square sail 
was rigged up on the foremast which helped us forward and was perfectly safe. 
The rais and sailors themselves acknowledged it to be good, saying huono, buono, 
the only Italian word they know. In the evening the wind lulled, the sandy 
haze cleared away, and we got under full sail, going up the stream at a good 
rate before the wind. 

The fine sand has covered every thing, and has fallen upon my open books 
and writing paper in a gritty dust, which does not blow off and is not wiped off 
without some difficulty. It fills the eyes, the skin and the hair, and soils our 
shirt-collars in a very short time. Towards ten the wind subsided entirely, and 
we were obliged to come to anchor. The sky is clear and the night calm, and 
over the water in all directions we hear the barking of dogs in the villages. 
Every where there are numbers of these animals in the towns and hamlets, and 
thej'- seem to have no masters, but run*wild, barking and fighting with one 
another day and night. They have a wolfish appearance, and seem to be half- 
famished. In the neighborhood of Cairo, outside the walls, they are seen in 
troops. The Mohammedans have a superstitious reverence for these animals ; 



TRAINING OF WATER-CABRIEES. — NILE APPETITE. 87 

or, at any rate, I have never seen a dog beaten or abiised or kicked out of tlae 
"way by an Egyptian. 

Fd>. 20th. — This morning at daybreak our boat got under way with a very 
slight breeze, which soon failed us, and we resorted to the tow-rope again. "We 
took this opportunity of jumping on shore for a walk, and carried our guns with 
us in ease we should see any birds. We had not yet tried them, and our pow- 
der was so coarse that we had some difficulty in getting the caps to take effect 
upon it. "We saw some pigeons, and shot once or twice without eflFect. Coming 
to a village, we saw the women with their jars going to the river for their 
morning's supply of water, and we watched the process I have before described. 
There were females of all ages engaged in 'this work. Now, as in the earliest 
times, the drawing of water seems to be one of their regular employments ; 
they are trained to it from their earliest years, and thus gain the strength and 
dexterity we have often noticed. We saw this morning little girls six or seven 
years old, who had small jars containing not more than a gallon. They were 
of the same shape and were managed precisely in the same way as the others. 
The older girls had larger jars, and those of the women must have held at least 
six or seven gallons. Yet they were raised and carried with apparent ease ; 
daily use from childhood enabling them to perform what otherwise would be no 
small effort for a strong-bodied man. 

The wind springing up, we got on board again and made sail, and were 
very glad to find a hearty breakfast prepared for us. We have both realized 
what our dragoman predicted, that oxxv appetites would become much sharper 
after we had embarked upon the Mle. This, I believe, is the experience of all 
voyagers on these waters. 

Having to be housekeepers to all intents, and to depend upon ourselves for 
every comfort, we this morning gave orders concerning our washing, as the day 
proved favorable for it. The washerman was set to work, and our clothes are 
now hanging out to dry. How successful we have been in our first experiment, 
we shall be better able to tell when the starching and ironing are finished. 

After sailing awhile with a fair wind, a bend in the river required us to tow 



88 THE TROCHILUS AND THE CROCODILE. 

for a distance. We took our guns again, and I sliot a fine-looking bird wMeli 
the sailors called a seeksalc. Its plumage is beautifully arranged in colors of 
brown, black and wkite. Its crest, breast, and tbe large featkers of the wings, 
are of a crow-black ; and its back of a variegated brown, with a brilliant white 
between these colors in well defined lines. But its great peculiarity is a strong, 
sharp, thorn-like substance at the end of the main joint of the wing, and stick- 
ing out from it like a horn. I had been curious to see this bird, from the 
strange story which the Arabs tell concerning its habits. They say that it is a 
special friend of the crocodile, keeping near and watching to give notice of the 
approach of danger by a sharp cry, when the animal comes out of the river to 
sun itself and sleep upon the bank. But they say it performs another and 
more remarkable office. The crocodile is tormented by leeches, which some- 
times creep into his mouth and fasten themselves upon the sides of his throat. 
While he lies upon shore with his mouth open, the seeksak hops in and devoiu-s 
the leeches. But occasionally the crocodile closes his mouth prematurely, 
imprisoning his friend, when the latter raises his sharp-pointed wings and 
reminds the crocodile to open his mouth and set him at liberty. Such is the 
Arab story. How true it may be, I, of course, cannot say. Bat this bird, with 
apparently good reason, is supposed to be the same of which Herodotus speaks 
in his account of the crocodile. No doubt the Egyptians of that day gave the 
father of history the same relation which we now heard ; for he says, " When 
the crocodile leaves the water, it reclines itself upon the mud, and generally 
towards the west, with its mouth open : the trochilus entering its throat destroys 
the leeches, in acknowledgment for which service it never does the trochilus 
injury." Euter^je, s. 68. It is said that the crocodile is rarely seen on the shore 
unaccompanied by one or more of these birds, which go up to him without fear, 
and are never injured by him. 

In the afternoon we had another walk on shore, but saw no game. A king- 
fisher came repeatedly within shot while pursuing his sport, or rather his regular 
occupation, but his poetical name, halcyon, saved him. 

This afternoon we came in sight of a range of works, coming down to the 
water's edge upon the left, and reminding us at first of the palisades \ipon tlie 



GEBEL ET TAIR. — COPTIC CONVENT. 89 

North River. Upon drawing nearer, however, their appearance changed, pre- 
senting horizontal strata instead of columnar blocks. It is part of the same great 
range which has been in sight since we left Cairo. The rocks were sand- 
colored, but stained in many places, and indented with caverns. At one point, 
high in the air, rose a natural bridge, showing its arch clearly against the sky. 
Besides these indentations of nature, there were others obviously artificial, 
which may have been sepulchral caves. At one point, where a convent, a rude 
structure, crowns the height, there were flights of steps cut in the rock. This 
range is called by the Arabs Gebel et Tair, or "Mountain of Birds." The 
origin of the name was obvious enough, for there were thousands of ducks 
wheeling about the precipice, and sitting in black lines along the crevices. Sir 
Gr. Wilkinson states that there is a legendary tale connected with this mountain. 
All the birds of the country are said to assemble here annually, and having 
selected one of their number to remain until the following year, they fly away 
into the interior, and return to release their sentinel and supply another in his 
place. This certainly could not have been the period of the annual meeting, 
for we have seen thousands and thousands in other parts of the river, and if 
the watch-bird was here, he must have had no solitary time of it, as there were 
multitudes of companions. All the birds were of one species, a black duck 
with white spots upon the neck and wings. 

The convent is called Sitteh Marian el Adra, or Our Lady Mary the Virgin. 
It belongs to the Coptic Christians, and we here saw a sight not very gratifying 
to us as Christians, and not calculated to increase respect for the name amongst 
the Mohammedans. "We had noticed for some time two men in long dark 
garments, hailing us from the opposite shore ; and we were told it was custom- 
ary for the monks to ask charity from boats ascending the river, calling out 
"Ama Christian ya Hawagee," i. e. Alms, gentlemen, for the Christian, long 
before the boats come up, and often swimming out when the boats do not come 
to. The monk called upon us to stop ; but as we had a fair wind and the rais 
was not disposed to do so, he told the man to go up the stream and swim oflf. 
In a twinkling he dropped his garment, ran off naked a good distance ahead, 
and then plunged in, swimming most stoutly hand over hand, as they do when 
12 



90 AMPHIBIOUS BEGGAR MONK. 

they breast tlie stream. He reached the boat, climbed up the side, and held on. 
His skin was as dark as the skins of our crew. He was like a very dark 
mulatto with a shaven head. The money that we gave him he put into his 
mouth. Our dragoman threw him a white head-cap, which he makes it a cus- 
tom to bestow when passing. The man, like a sturdy beggar, was asking for 
more, when one of the crew pushed him off into the river. He then got hold 
of the small boat, which was towing behind, and they would have pushed him 
away from there had not my friend interfered. He soon dropped off and swam 
away, with the money still in his mouth, and holding up the ca,p in one hand to 
keep it out of the water. Thus he was swimming and making good progress 
to the opposite shore, whence he came, as long as we could see him. The river 
at this place was at least a quarter of a mile wide, the current running from 
two to three miles an hour. But all the men upon the Nile seem to be most 
powerful swimmers, being constantly used to the water at all seasons of the 
year from their earliest childhood. 

We passed Minieh at night, a favorable wind carrying us along at a good 
rate. 

Feb. 21st. — This morning at sunrise we were at anchor, the wind having 
died away in the course of the night. It is well, however, for the crew, and 
especially for the rais and pilot, to have some rest, as there is no relief for them 
by watches when the boat is under way. The crew, indeed, except those who 
tend the sheets, may sleep at night, when the wind is fair, but the rais and 
pilot can never leave their posts. This morning we had to resort to the poles 
and rope again, until towards ten o'clock, when the Avind sprung up favorably. 
While the vessel was towing, we saw some ducks upon the bank, and went on 
shore after them, but they would not await our approach. 

Our dragoman undertook to iron the clothes this morning, but I found that 
he knew nothing about the matter, or else was too idle to attend to it properly. 
Instead of starching the collars, he had merely passed the iron over them when 
dry, so that they were as rough as when they came out of the washing tub. I 
began to instruct him as well as I could. I remembered that clothes must be 
sprinkled or made damp before ironing, and that collars ought to be starched. 



SHIFTLESS ARABS. — RAISING "WATER. 91 

So I set myself about it, and starclied and ironed to show him how, and for a first 
attempt I flattered myself that I got through pretty well. The Arabs are a 
shiftless set. In almost every thing that they undertake we can shoAV them a 
better wa}^, which they acknowledge at the moment ; but when they are to do 
the same thing again they go to work in their old fashion, so that there is little 
satisfaction in teaching them. For all the little changes and fixtures that I 
needed in my cabin, I had to use the saw, the hammer and the chisel, myself; 
for I had no patience to stand by and see the dragoman's clumsy attempts. 

A little before twelve o'clock we came in sight of Benihassan, and saw, in 
the lofty rocks, the excavations which we are to visit on our return, as they are 
said to be very interesting, and even more ancient than the tombs at Thebes. 
On the opposite bank of the river we saw the people raising water by hand for 
irrigating the land. It is simple enough, but must be somewhat laborious. A 
little hollow, shaped like a well, is dug in the bank, on a level with the river. 
Into this descends a bowl-shaped bucket, made of skin, and this is attached to a 
pole secured by a pivot into an upright forked post, like a common ISTew Eng- 
land country well of the old time. The water is thus raised to a reservoir 
above, from which another bucket carries it to a third, until it is elevated to 
the top of the bank. Where the bank is higher, of course more buckets and 
reservoirs are needed. There was a large number of these contrivances at work 
in this portion of the river. 

The village of Benihassan was formerly inhabited by an incorrigible set of 
robbers, and for this reason was destroyed some twenty-five years ago by Ibra- 
him Pasha. It now presents only an appearance of roofless houses, with the 
walls broken down. About three o'clock we passed Er Ehamaroon, where 
there is an extensive sugar refinery, established by Mehemet Ali. The preju- 
dices of the Mohammedans are such that the blood of bullocks is not used in 
the process, but milk and eggs are substituted, which do not answer so well. 
My impression is that in New-York sugar is not refined with blood, but by 
some other process. If so, it would be a valuable improvement here ; but 
innovations, however excellent, work their way slowly in this country. 

The day has been very delightful, the air pure and invigorating, and warmer 



92 SLEEPING ON WATCH. — A DELICIOUS CLIMATE. 

than we have had for some time past. We are now in the region of the croco- 
diles, but have seen none as yet. At ten o'clock to-night the wind died away, 
and we are now at anchor in the stream. 

Feb. 22d. — Last night very late, or early before daybreak this morning, I 
was aroused by a great noise on deck, over my head, and in a short time the 
boat set sail. I found that the watch, having probably fallen asleep at his post, 
had neglected to inform the rais that a breeze had sprung up. The rais, how- 
ever, awoke, and was exceedingly angry with the man and gave him a good 
flogging, which he deserved, and was on the point of throwing another of the 
men overboard. We lost about half an hour's wind by the neglect, and as we 
begin to be short of bread for the crew, this was considered by the rais as no 
light offence. But at sunrise the wind died away, and the towing gave me a 
chance for a walk upon the shore. Not a breeze was stirring, the temperature 
of the air was perfectly delicious, and the broad river gave back a perfect 
reflection of the banks, especially of the hills that on the left come down near 
to the water. I walked along for some distance, enjoying the whole scene 
greatly. Passing by a large field of beans in blossom, and another of wheat in 
the ear, the fragrance was very grateful, while the birds all around me were 
chirping and singing. I noticed the first -swallows I have seen in Egypt. The 
morning was so summer-like that they were in full activity, and reminded me 
of home. Indeed the whole day seems like one of our most perfect summer 
days, and the heat is not oppressive. We begin to realize what is said of the 
delicious climate of Upper Egypt. Such a day as this is almost enough to 
make a sick man well. We should be glad, however, of a little more wind to 
help us along, and relieve our crew from the toil of dragging the boat. 

About twelve o'clock a steamboat hove in sight, coming down the river 
with a barge in tow. The flags of the Pasha were flying, and we wer& told 
that a daughter of the Pasha was on board, but which Pasha we did not learn. 
There seemed to be numerous attendants, and by the crates for fowls, vegeta- 
bles, &c., a plentiful provision. She soon left us and sailed rapidly down the 
stream. 

We now came in sight of the precipitous cMs Gebel Aboofayder, near the 



ABOOFAYDER. — NILE SCENERY. 

base of wliicli the river runs. They are composed of the same kind of rock 
that we have seen all along on the eastern shore of the river, only the strata 
instead of being perfectly horizontal, are here broken into wavy lines. They 
are quite picturesque, and in one place a promontory juts out, as if it were cut. 
off from the main body of the cliff, and takes the semblance of a human head. 
With a little of the labor bestowed upon the ancient monuments of Egypt, it 
might be cut into a gigantic Sphinx. In one part of the cliff there is a series 
of artificial doorways, with square columns and entablatures, that open into 
caverns which are said to contain the mummies of cats and dogs. The river 
here takes a bend, and the navigation is thought to be dangerous on account of 
sudden gusts of wind that blow from the high rock directly down upon the river. 
We sailed by in safety, with a fine breeze, though I noticed that the wind came 
in flaws while we were under the rocks. 

We passed Manfaloot this afternoon, a large town on the west bank of the 
river. Here the Nile rapidly encroaches on the town, and all efforts to prevent 
it have failed. We saw a number of houses that had been undermined and 
were half gone, as if they had been cut in two. Unless the river changes its 
course, the town must be destroyed in a few years. A short distance above 
this town we noticed the process by which its gradual destruction is accom- 
plished. Several large portions of the bank, the foundation having been pre- 
viously worn away by the current, fell into the stream like an avalanche and 
disappeared. A little farther on we had a view of one of the most beautiful 
minarets we have seen. It rose out of a fine clump of palm-trees, surrounded 
by fields in full verdure. The mountains, the river, and this picturesque village, 
formed a very striking landscape. Indeed, we constantly arrive at points which 
present us very delightful views, all the more striking from their novelty to a 
western eye. The few and simple elements that constitute the scenery of the 
Nile, might lead one to expect a tiresome sameness. The river, the fields, the 
rocky hills and the palm-trees, are all. But these are so constantly varied ; 
the river now spreading out into a broad sheet, like a lake, now contracted into 
a narrow space, and running with the swiftness of a mill-stream, and again 
divided by islands and bars ; the hills, now stretching away into the far distance. 



94 OSIOOT. — COMPETITION. 

and now coming boldly up to the very border of the stream, occasionally 
pierced with grottoes and caverns, and sometimes presenting all manner of 
fantastic shapes, pyramids, castles and ruins ; the palm-trees, here like a broad 
.forest, and there dispersed into beautiful clumps ; the fields green with the 
springing wheat, or fragrant with the blossoms of the bean ; the water-buckets 
upon the banks, and the active husbandmen engaged in this novel species of 
irrigation ; add to these the numerous boats passing up or down, their latteen 
sails giving them the appearance of mighty birds upon the water and just ready 
to spring into the air : the ever varying combination of these few elements 
gives the landscape an untiring freshness and interest. 

Feb. 23d — ^Reaching a point where the river makes a horse-shoe bend, we 
this morning early sent Achmet, our dragoman, with two of the crew, overland 
to Osioot, to make arrangements for such purchases as are needed for the crew 
and ourselves, in order that we may not be detained on arriving there with the 
boat. We took the opportunity of sending oif our letters to the post-office, to 
be forwarded from Osioot to Eome, by the way of Cairo. There was no wind 
until noon, and having to track and pole the boat, we made but little progi-ess. 
We could see the minarets of Osioot overland, and we have to go apparently a 
long distance from it before we can shape our course thither again, on account 
of the winding of the river. Here I saw several pelicans floating upon the 
water. I could notice distinctly, under their immense beaks, the membrane or 
bag, a receptacle for the fish they catch to carry to their nests. Upon oiu' 
approach they rose heavily from the surface and flew away. They were as 
large as swans. When the wind rose it was very light, and we did not reach 
Osioot until about two o'clock. As we approached the shore where the boats 
are moored, we saw one pushing away and making sail. It proved to be that 
of our English acquaintances. Captain Neil and his friend, who had thus far 
kept the lead of us. They arrived yesterday, and as there has been some little 
competition, they hurried away when they saw us coming. When we reached 
the shore we found that Achmet had bought all that was needful and had it 
ready to be put on board at once. For two or three minutes there was quite a 
display of amusing activity, the crew, the donkey boys who had brought the 



APATHY IN TRADE. — THE EVIL EYE. 95 

stores from Osioot, and the -vTomen -who had sold the bread, all entering into 
the spirit of the moment. Our provisions were quickly on board, and without 
even passing a rope to the shore we were off again and under sail. The boys 
and women, who had been liberally paid for their services, all joined in cheering 
us and wishing us a prosperous voyage. The crew, too, who had been on short 
commons for the last twenty-four hours, were in high spirits at the prospect of 
a good meal, and the poor fellows handled the sails with the utmost activity, so 
that we were soon upon the track of our English friends. The other American 
boat, Mr. Crosby's, and the English boat, Mrs. Guthrie's, are out of sight behind 
us, and probably will not now overtake us until we reach Thebes. This port 
of Osioot is the usual place for supplying bread to the crews of boats on the 
river, and there are several large ovens here which bake it for that purpose. 
The coarse bread used by the seamen is baked in loaves, and then cut up into 
junks and suffered to dry. A supply which lasts to Osioot is usually laid in at 
Cairo. Then there is commonly a detention of twenty-four hours, as the wheat 
has to 'be bought, cleaned, ground and baked for each boat. Why there is not 
some system of general supply, so that boats may be provided at once, I cannot 
ascertain. It would seem that the ordinary stimulus of trade must produce 
such arrangements. But there is very little enterprise here, and a strong 
disposition to do precisely what their fathers have done before them and no 
more. If any one were to undertake keeping a supply of ready made bread 
for sale, he would be in danger of making a losing business of it. Our drago- 
man could buy no proper bread, that is, such as will keep, and therefore 
obtained a supply of the ordinary cakes used by the people of the country. 
These will be good for a couple of days. We have thus avoided the usual 
detention, and twenty-four hours will be a great gain to us. 

I have just seen a notable instance of Arab superstition. A little while ago, 
by some sudden flaw of wind, one of the sails was taken aback, which occasioned 
some confusion for a moment, and a loss of speed. This was attributed to the 
evil eye, some one, perhaps, in the boat ahead, having looked at us enviously. 
In order to do away the effect, the rais with his left hand sticks a knife into 
the foremast. Our dragoman called my attention to the circumstance, and gave 



96 , MUTUAL PEOTECTION.' — THE FIRST CROCODILE. 

me the explanation. TMs superstition in regard to the evil eye is very strong 
and prevalent. When strangers, or even friends, gaze too earnestly upon chil- 
dren, their parents object to it, fearing some evil consequence. The superstition 
is classic as well as Egyptian. Theocritus says that a beautifal woman gazed 
upon by a stranger, r/st? ei.'? eov eirrvae koXttov, spat thrice into her bosom to do 
away with the evil effect. I was told that the custom is common amongst 
the Turks, and I believe that it exists yet amongst the Greeks for the mother to 
spit upon her child when it is praised or admired, to counteract the evil eye. 

This afternoon we overtook the boat of our English friends, and shot ahead 
of them. At sundown the wind lulled as usual, and we came to anchor. After 
tea we heard the boat we had passed coming up with us by poling, and our rais 
and crew thinking that they intended to pass us, by working all night, became 
quite excited, and were determined to weigh anchor and go to work too. We 
found, however, that their object was only to be near us for safety. As they 
had no anchor, they could not remain in the stream, but were obliged to moor 
the boat to the shore, and there being no village near, they thought they might 
be in danger of an attack from the Eellahs. In the villages there is always a 
watch provided, and the Shiek is responsible for the safety of boats that lie 
there. The rais of the other boat hailed- us, and requested our rais to come 
near to the shore, for his protection, which we did. My friend and I then went 
on board their boat and passed a very pleasant hour in conversation with our 
new acquaintances, Captain Niel of the British army and Mr. Dennison, whom 
we have found to be intelligent and agreeable men. We have invited them to 
dine with us to-morrow, should we be together when we come to anchor for the 
evening. 

Feb. 24i/i. — This morning we had but just begun to tow the boat, when the 
wind sprung up fair and we made sail. It soon increased to a heavy blow, so 
that we were obliged to shorten sail, making all the time, however, very good 
headway. I was called out of the cabin to see a crocodile, for the first time in 
my life. It was quite a large one, and lay asleep upon a sand-bank. By one 
not accustomed to the sight, it might have been easily mistaken for a log of 
wood, or a ridge of dirt upon the sand. With the glass, however, I could 



THE EAIS AND CREW. — DANGEROUS PASS. 97 

plainly discover its liead, legs and tail. We made a noise, but it was too sound 
asleep, or we were too far off to disturb it. 

The turns in the river required us to cbange sail frequently, sometimes 
being full before the wind and sometimes close hauled. In effecting these 
manoeuvres the Arab sailors, as it seemed to us, managed most clumsily. There 
is no order amongst them, all talking and hallooing out together what is to be 
done, each man expressing his opinion as to when the ropes should be slackened 
or hauled taut. The authority of the rais is indeed absolute ; for he can flog a 
man or toss him overboard, as we have seen ; and this morning when one of 
..the men aloft did not obey orders to his mind, he picked up a large stone from 
the deck and threw it at him. Still, in other respects, the men treat him with 
no deference, but all halloo out while he is giving the word of command, and 
call from one end of the boat to the other, as lustily as he does. And when 
we are within hail of another boat, any one hails and asks such questions as he 
chooses. Such discipline on board one of our vessels could not last an hour. 
^ We have had a fair wind all day, and part of the time it has been almost a 
gale. We had to tow a short distance through a bend in the river, and hero 
our English companions passed us, and we supposed they would be so far ahead 
of us that we should not see them at dinner time. We overtook them, however, 
for they had carried away the yard of one of the sails, and were obliged to 
make for the bank of the river and stop to mend the rigging. We now shot 
by them, and the wind being favorable and very strong, we soon ran them out 
of sight, and as they may be detained an hour or two we shall not see them 
again to-day, and probably not before our arrival at Thebes. We passed this 
afternoon Gebel Shekh Herridee, a part of the eastern chain of hills that comes 
immediately down to the river's edge. Before coming near it our rais shortened 
sail, and, being bat a timid mariner, he would have gone under bare poles, but 
for our earnest expostulations. We persuaded him, with some difficulty, to 
keep up his foresail. The point is doubtless quite dangerous, for the lofty rocks, 
at least twice as high as the palisades, form a perpendicular mass jutting into 
the river, and the wind sometimes comes over in heavy gusts, which might 
capsize a boat. We got through safely, but after we had sailed about a mile 



98 AMPHITHEATRE OF HILLS. — CLEAR SKY. 

farther, the rais called us from the cabin, and with earnest gesticulations and a 
good raauy words that we could not understand, pointed back to the place. 
There was a cloud of sand fljdng about with great violence, indicating one of 
those sudden squalls ; and we understood him to say that he feared lest we 
should encounter such an one ; and as it might strike us in any direction, and 
perhaps take us aback, he wished on this account to shorten sail. He looked 
very triumphant, as though his judgment had been correct. "We might have 
thought so too, had he not on repeated occasions manifested so much timidity. 
He afterwards said to our dragoman that he did not fear for himself, but for us, 
and it seemed to him that we had ybtj little apprehension for our own lives. 

After passing this j^oint the rocky hills retreat and form an immense 
amphitheatre, inclosing a large tract of cultivated land. The view of the hills 
was most superb. It seemed a far-stretching and perfect bow, the river running 
almost straight like the cord. The top of the whole chain was level, but the face 
was broken into recesses, mounds and other picturesque shapes, still preserving, 
as a whole, the circular form. We passed a number of villages, embosomed^ 
groves of palms, and in the evening came into the vicinity of Ekhmim, but it 
was too dark to see distinctly. Here the wind lulled and we were almost 
becalmed. We noticed, as we had often done before when in the neighborhood 
of villages in the evening, the excessive barking of dogs. It seemed as though 
there were hundreds upon hundreds of these animals. The people do not kill 
nor disturb them ; they do not belong to particular masters, but run at large, 
and get their living as they can from dead animals and the offal about the towns 
and villages. Like the turkej^ buzzards of the southern cities, thej^ perform 
the office of scavengers. Wherever we stop in the evening Ave hear this inces- 
sant barking. 

The sky for several nights past has been exceedingly beautiful, not a cloud 
to be seen, scarcely a breath of air stirring, the stars shining with imcommon 
brilliancy, and many of them, especially the planets Jupiter and Venus, appear- 
ing much larger than with us. Bnt the evenings are quite cool, and far south 
as we are, and warm as it often is, when the sun shines, I find that a^-c require 
two or throe blankets at night. 




i 



UJ 

O 



COPTS. — PIGEONS. — SLAVE BOAT. 99 

To-day was my birtladay ; and my tlionglits have been dwelling almost 
unceasingly npon those dearest to me, and upon life, its duties and responsibili- 
ties, the past and the future ; upon the errors, deiiciencies and sins of years 
gone by, and in hopes of amendment, not Avithout many supplications for grace 
to effect it. Sit Deus adjutor mens per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum. 

Feb. 2oth. — This morning when we rose there was no wind. About nine 
o'clock our English friends hove in sight astern of us. Having repaired the 
damage done to their sails, they had had a small breeze all night, while we 
were becalmed, and thus were enabled to come up with us. The breeze again 
springing up, we were soon under sail together, and are keeping along in close 
company, both boats having about the same speed. 

We passed this morning a Coptic convent, situated on a barren mound near 
the shore. It looked like a square mud fort, with here and there a small loop- 
hole. I hope to be able to learn more about these Coptic Christians, and to 
get a sight of one of their convents. From all that I have yet seen and heard, 
they do little honor to the name of Christian. 

We have had another fine amphitheatre of rocky hills, such as we saw yes- 
terday. Indeed the Eastern side all along has exhibited a varied and striking 
succession of rocky scenery. On the Western shore we passed Minshieh, a 
considerable village, which at a distance had a castellated appearance, but tipon 
coming nearer we found this was occasioned by nothing but a number of square 
turret-like pigeon-houses. All the villages are well supplied with these, and 
we see large flocks of both tame and wild pigeons. After passing Minshieh we 
retired to our cabin, and had the satisfaction of reading the Church service 
together, remembering our absent families in our prayers. 

We have just passed a boat going down the river filled with slaves for the 
Cairo market. They were mostly young boys and girls, and seemed to be in 
great glee, laughing heartily and showing their white teeth. They were quite 
black, and doubtless were Nubians. We have heard that their condition, gen- 
erally speaking, is much bettered, and perhaps it may be so when they fall into 
the hands of kind masters, We have seen these Nubian slaves in Cairo, in the 
shops of their owners, and they appeared to us well-dressed, well treated, and 



100 DIFFICULTIES OF NAVIGATION. 

apparently contented. This is usually the case in Cairo. But we heard enough 
concerning the system to be convinced that notwithstanding these mitigating 
circumstances, it deserves all the reprobation which we are accustomed to 
bestow upon it. 

About one o'clock we passed Girgeh, quite a large place and once the capital 
of Upper Egypt. We counted six tall minarets, and understand there is a very 
extensive bazaar there, where almost every thing may be purchased. But the 
wind blew very fair and strong, and we were not disposed to arrest our jDrogress, 
which, however, in the afternoon was somewhat checked. Coming to a wide 
part of the river, the two boats, our English comjoanion and ourselves, took the 
wrong side, that is, the side where the water was shallow, the channel being 
near the opposite bank. The English boat got ashore, but being much lighter 
than ours was soon got off and found the channel. But to do this, we were 
obliged to take in sail and push the boat back in the teeth of the wind in order 
to go round the point of a shoal. This occupied some time, and when we had 
succeeded we had not gone many miles before we met with the same mishap 
again. Meantime our English friends are far out of sight, and we shall be pre- 
vented from dining with them to-day, as we had engaged to do in case we 
should be near each other, just as they were yesterday prevented from dining 
with us. These accidents make it difficult and almost impossible for two boats 
to keep company on the Nile, if they have any wish to get on rapidly. The 
channel of the river is constantly changing, and even a month turns it in some 
places into a different course. In the mean time the volume of the water daily 
diminishes, there are numerous shallows and sand-bars, and the water is so 
muddy that they cannot always be seen. Consequently your striking upon 
them is the first notice that you have of their existence. To avoid these shal- 
lows, wherever there is a suspicious looking place, or a channel known to be 
shifting, one man, and sometimes two, are kept constantly upon the look-out, 
sounding with poles. Soon after sundown the Avind lulled as usual, and we 
came to anchor about eight o'clock ; but in the evening a gentle breeze sprung 
up, and we got under way again, and now at midnight are going at a A'cry good 




_3 

O 

O -i 
Q 5 



THE DATE AND DOUM PALMS. 101 

rate, but we shall hardly overtake our English friends, unless we are as fortu- 
nate as they were in making up their day's loss. 

Feb. 26th. — This morning, contrary to our expectation, we passed our English 
friends a little before sunrise. Their boat was tied to the bank of the river, 
and thinking something might be the matter, we hailed them ; but as they 
seemed to be in no want of assistance, we sailed on. A little distance before 
coming to Farshiout, on the western side, the bank of the river grew very 
beautiful. It was a gradual slope from the top to the edge of the water, and 
quite green with cultivation. It was the first of the kind we have seen, the 
bank when low being a sandy shore, and when high an abrupt precipice of dark 
colored soil. The top of this sloping bank was covered with a thick grove of 
mingled date and doum palms. We had seen a few straggling trees of the 
latter, but could never distinguish their characteristic forms until now. The 
date palm rises up in a single stem, with a number of light feathery branches 
forming the head, which bend gracefully over, or sway about lightly in the 
wind. The body of the tree is jagged, and appears notched about in somewhat 
irregular circles. This arises from the method of pruning ; for the branches 
are constantly cut off below as new ones shoot out from the head, a process 
which concentrates the sap and renders the tree more fruitful. The fruit grows 
in large bunches from the bottom of the branches which spring out at the top. 
The dates are an important article of food to the whole people. 

The doum palm differs from the other in appearance, the single stem, at a 
certain height, being divided into two, and each of these into two again, and so 
on. Its leaves too are fan-shaped. At the base of these, as in the other palm, 
the fruit grows, but it is very different from the date. This tree is also called 
the Theban palm, because it is confined to the Thebaid, and not found in Lower 
Egypt. 

At Farshiout we saw on the banks of the river a large sugar factory, built 
by Ibrahim Paeha. This is the boundary of his large possessions, which extend 
from the neighborhood of Cairo to this place. The sugar-cane grows extensively 
in this region, and we saw it in the fields, and also in large piles after it had 



102 OUR SUCCESSFUL VOYAGE. 

been cut and prepared by trimming off the leaves to be shipped in boats and 
sent to the factory. 

Towards evening, just before dark, we saw several crocodiles on a sand-bar. 
We have before seen only one. They were too far off for shot to take effect, 
but we fired blank powder to frighten them, and at the report they hastily 
tumbled themselves into the water. They are very timid, and it is difficult to 
get near them. In the evening, after dark, we passed Keneh and Dendera, 
which we propose to visit on our return. We have made good progress to-day, 
though less than yesterday ; and the wind continuing favorable, we are still 
going upward at midnight. 

Feb. 21th. — We gained a great deal last night, and on awaking this morning- 
were not far from Thebes. The wind lulled before sunrise, but our rais and 
crew were in such spirits in consequence of their success in having beaten all 
the other boats that left Cairo at the same time with ourselves, that they were 
towing the boat with unusual energy and rapidity. The rais himself was on 
shore with all the men, except the steersman and one man to keep the boat 
from the bank with a pole. We arrived at the great point of our destination 
and moored early upon the eastern side of the river ; and thus in twelve days 
after leaving old Cairo we have made a voj^age, of which the average time is 
twenty days. We were told to make our account for twenty days, and one 
boat arrived just after us which has been twenty-six days on the way. None 
of our companions are in sight ; and we feel ourselves to have been extremely 
favored. Much of our success I attribute to the energy of Mr. Minturn, who 
was constantly stimulating the men to exertion, and who has rewarded them so 
liberally that they are very thankful and happy. A mile or two before coming 
to our mooring place, the wind breezing up a little, the men left towing, came 
on board and set sail. They then took their dinner and pipes, and began to 
sing. Our cook performed a most singular and fantastic dance, taking off part 
of his clothes in the progress of it, and making the most curious gestures and 
grimaces ; but there was nothing indecent in this,«Eis in some of the Arab 
dances. 



THE SITE OF THEBES. 103 



We liave arrived tlien at Tiiebes, tlie cliief object of our visit to Egypt and 
our voyage up tlie Nile. Its ancient plain, once covered with temples and 
palaces of unsurpassed extent and magnificence, is now spread out around us 
on both sides of the river. A more noble site for a great inland city, the world 
can hardly offer, and that site was occupied by a city the wealthiest, most popu- 
lous and most richly embellished of the world. The description of Homer is 
familiar to every classical reader, and the name at once recalls his epithet 
eKarofiTTv^oc, the " hundred-gated." From each of these hundred gates, 
according to his account, two hundred war chariots coiild at once be sent out to 
repel an enemy ; and the circumference of its walls was one hundred and forty 
stadia or fourteen geographical miles. The most active imagination will in 
vain attempt to picture the scene upon which the sun here must once have 
looked down — stately edifices crowding the banks of the river for miles on 
both sides, and reaching back to the very bases of the distant hills in lines of mas- 
sive walls ; majestic columns, with gigantic statues interposed, and tall obelisks 
shooting up to the skies ; and the river bridged over with thousands of boats 
working their difficult way in passing up and down and from side to side ; and 
the constant hum of a mighty population. Now the river flows along silent 
and sad, and scarcely rippled by a prow ; it is bordered only by banks of naked 
sand, and a few mud-walled villages. The eye wanders over a wide extent of 
green fields, with clumps of palms, and here and there at a distance rise up the 
melancholy ruins that remain to mark the site of glorious Thebes. Our boat, 
with two or three other of the same kind of passenger craft, and a few of the 
ordinary Arab trading boats, is moored to the eastern bank, close to the 
village of Luxor, and almost vsdthin the shadow of its once gorgeous temple. 
And here we are, thousands of miles from our homes in the active, vigorous 



104 VALLEY OF THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 

city of the new world, to contemplate the mighty fallen skeleton of the most 
renowned of the old. 

We resolved to begin our sight-seeing at once, and immediately selected 
onr guides from a number that presented themselves on our arrival. We had 
to take different men for the antiquities on the two sides of the river. It so 
hajppened that they both had the same name, Mohammed Abdou Ali ; but 
whether this was in. both cases a real, or in one an assumed name, we could not 
ascertain. Both were highly recommended in the documents which they had 
from preceding travellers. 

All our arrangements were soon made, and having decided to see the anti- 
quities upon the west bank in the first place, in conformity to the advice of Sir 
G. Wilkinson, we took our small boat to cross the river. Arrived at the other 
side, we were assailed by a host of men, rushing into the water with horses and 
donkeys, and surrounding the boat. Having made our selection, we left the 
boat and set off upon horses, our guide mounted upon a donkey. We were 
followed by four or five boys with water jugs, and one to carry our luncheon. 
These, with the three owners or attendants upon our animals, made quite a 
cortege. 



TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 

We directed our march first to the Tombs of the Kings. After going down 
the river bank some little distance, we crossed the cultivated valley, and came 
to the foot of the rocky hills that border it. Beginning our ascent over some 
irregular mounds of sand and loose stones, we were assailed b}^ the barking of 
a number of dogs, which belonged to a village, if it could be so called, of Arabs 
who were living in caves and pits that seemed to have been old tombs. The 
hills before us were apparently eight hundred or one thousand- feet high, craggy 
and precipitous, without a single tree or a blade of grass upon them. We soon 
entered a ravine, like the bed of a mountain torrent, which, on the few occasions 
when there is i-ain, was filled, we were told, with water. But now the wliolo 



^f^S^-fi. 




THE GATES OF THE KINGS. 105 

appearance of it was as dry as if rain had never fallen upon it. This ravine 
wound through rockj'- hills of a yellow or sand color, and of a conglomerate or 
pudding-stone formation. For more than an hour we continued our winding 
ascent, the broken precipices coming nearer and nearer, until at every turn we 
seemed to be shut in by them. The rocks wore various fantastic shapes, and at 
last a hill rose before us with a summit shaped like a pyramid, marking its 
sharp outline upon the blue sky, and standing, an awful sentinel, by the 
"Gates of the Kings," or " Biban el Melook, " as this valley is called. 
Here, far away from any human habitation, in the midst of the silent and 
eternal solitudes of the desert, without so much as a sound from a beast 
or a bird, or even an insect, where no' blade of grass can vegetate, the 
kings of the earth, in a kind of sublime mockery, seem to have chosen 
their final homes, and to have built up " desolate places " for themselves. 
The ruins all around, the heaps of small fragments, which had been hewn out 
of the rocks, the white and compact limestone of which the hills were formed, 
the sun beating down upon them — these, and the thousand images of a dead 
antiquity, which were here offered to the gaze of pilgrims from a living, fresh, 
new and animated world, held us bound for a short period in chains of wonder- 
ing silence. All around us was still. We had apparently reached the confines 
even of inanimate nature, so far as any principle of life, even of mere vegetable 
life, might seem to connect us still with the external world ; and here we stood 
alone, among the emblems of departed ages and generations. How strong 
must have been the feeling of the vanity of life and the emptiness of worldly 
pomp and splendor, which could have led out princes from the hundred gates 
of the rich, the luxurious, and the populous city, to seek their tombs among 
these rocky hills, which stand unchanged in everlasting loneliness ! 

Ascending a short distance among the fragments, which had evidently been 
taken from the very bowels of the hills by vast and persevering labor, we came 
to the entrance of what is commonly called Belzoni's Tomb, since it was first 
opened by that enterprising traveller. As the manner of its discovery is inte- 
resting, I shall here quote the words of a writer who was upon the spot soon 
after the opening of the tomb, and was accompanied in his visit by the celebra- 
14 



106 DISCOVEEY OF BELZONl'S TOMB. 

ted discoverer. He says that Belzoni, " in walking over the ground, observed 
that the immense mass of detritus, or small stony fragments, which bank the 
base of the mountain, and fill up the valley on each side, had a particular lie, 
or direction, in the neighborhood of the open tombs. This was occasioned by 
the materials, which were carried out of the tomb at the time of its formation, 
being laid along there on each side, as the most convenient place for disposing 
of them. The orifice of this tomb was entirely blocked up, occasioned, as some 
imagine, by a mountain torrent passing immediately over it. The surface was 
perfectly level, and to an ordiniry observer, presented nothing different from 
what Avas around it. But the practised eye of the antiquary looked deeper 
than the surface. Determined to prove the truth or fallacy of his conjecture, 
Mr. Belzoni set a number of Arabs to work, to sink a passage in front of the 
rock, through the accumulation of detritus, down to the solid base. Appear- 
ances at first by no means flattered his expectations, and the remarks of some 
who witnessed his effort, tended to damp and discourage the undertaking. 
After some days of unremitting exertion, even his own hopes became less san- 
guine, yet still he persevered, and at last the hit of some lucky shovel uncovered 
the polished front of the rock. The sight redoubled all their energies, braced 
all their sinking hopes, for every man shares in the success of the man who is 
deservedly fortunate. After a few more efforts the door of entrance was 
unsealed, and the joy of Belzoni may be more easily conceived than expressed. 
The depth through which he had descended in the rubbish, was about twenty 
feet, and from the sides constantly falling in, had occasioned him as much labor 
as would otherwise nearly have sunk the same passage to twice the depth. 
Still much remained to be done ; the passage along the shaft was to be cleared, 
it having been blocked up with sand for a considerable way. But he had now 
seen the success of his labors, and flushed with the past, what remained to 
be accomplished, presented but a feeble obstacle to the enterprising spirit of 
one who had already achieved so much. The work being hotly plied, the 
entrance was soon broken up, and the sand basketed out, so as to afford an 
access to the intrepid discoverer, who, armed with a lighted torch, as soon as 
there was room to admit his hand and his head, thrust them in, and, pushing 



THE harper's tomb. 107 

sand and nibbisli aside witli his giant shoulders, crawled along on his breast 
into the interior of this long forgotten tomb, exulting in all the raptures of 
success, which he must have truly felt, as he had truly merited." 

The tomb is entered by a doorway nearly seven feet wide and a little less 
than nine feet high. It is over three hundred feet long, and consists of fourteen 
chambers, of various sizes. A flight of steps leads to the door. The tomb was 
probably formed by cutting away the limestone in small pieces, and after the 
first rough operation had been accomplished, the surface was polished and 
covered over with innumerable hieroglyphics and figures, sunk into the rock 
and painted with a variety of colors, white, red, blue and yellow predominating. 
The long corridor is entirely covered with' these emblems, and so indeed are the 
chambers to which it leads, and every available sjDace. Those who wish to find 
an exact description of the stars, the tablets of hieroglyphics, the globes, the 
serpent, the vultures, the deities of Egypt, and all the countless figures which 
cover the walls and the ceiling of the tomb, are referred to the numerous elabo- 
rate works upon the subject. 

From the tomb of Belzoni, we went a short distance to another, which, 
from the figures playing upon the harp, by which the walls are adorned, is 
called the Harper's Tomb. The entrance to this is far more imposing and 
elaborate than the other, being distinguished by several columns, the capitals of 
which were formed of the sculptured head of the ox, the horns curving, but 
the general direction being still upright, for the purpose of supporting the 
entablature. This representation of life, in the absence of every sign of it 
around, presented by contrast a striking animated front. This tomb is very 
interesting, because the sculptures on the walls give us a good idea of the man- 
ners and customs, the modes of life of the ancient Egyptians. This appears to 
have been the place of sepiilture, not merely of the kings themselves, but of 
the officers of the household. One chamber, therefore, in which the chief cook 
was probably buried, is devoted to representations of the slaughter of animals, 
of men cutting up meat and placing it upon a tripod to be roasted, with all the 
particulars which are so familiar to us from the descriptions of Homer. In 
another chamber, the final resting-place, perhaps, of some master of the royal 



108 ANCIENT MODES OF LIFE EEVEALED. 

sTiips, there were sails, masts, boats, wliicli, carefully examined, ^yollld tlirow 
some light upon the state of ancient Egyptian naval architecture. But the 
proofs which were here given of the progress that the Egyptians had then made 
in the arts of civilization, and even in luxurious refinement, were the most 
striking of all. The chairs, for example, not only showed that the former 
inhabitants did not follow the present Oriental fashion of sedentary repose, but 
they were even modern in shajpe, and still more so in the materials with which 
they were covered. The panoply of war — knives, helmets, spears, daggers, 
quivers, bows, arrows, falchions, coats of mail; — and some of these appear to 
represent instruments made of iron or steel. Sofas, couches, vases, sometimes 
of porcelain, at others of common earthenware, baskets of great elegance and 
neatness ; agricultural implements and rural scenes, the inundation of the Nile, 
and the peculiar modes of farming in Egypt ; the deities of the country, and its 
vegetable productions and animals, with various emblems of mythology, and in 
the last chamber blind harpers, that appear to be playing before some god, Avho 
is supposed to represent the divinity whom the Greeks named Hercules — such, 
and a profusion of similar sculptures, are the ornaments of this tomb. 

We afterwards visited several other tombs, and observed that thej^ Avere 
finished with various degrees of labor and expense ; for while the sculptures in 
most cases were executed in intaglio, in one they were in relievo, and in another 
there was no sculpture, but the polished walls of the tomb had been simply 
painted. 

It would have occupied more hours than we had at our disposal to have 
visited all the tombs now open. The number in ancient times is said to have 
amounted to forty-seven, some of those Avhich were ojDen in the reign of the 
Ptolemies being now closed, though fourteen out of seventeen spoken of by 
Diodorus, are still to be found. Twenty-one are now known, and doubtless 
several others might be discovered by perseverance and enterprise, like those of 
Belzoni, already described. We visited six of the most noted. 

But to us a most interesting subject of contemplation was suggested by the 
question, cui bono ? For Avhat purpose, ia these remote solitudes, amid these 
sterile rocks, and on the very borders of the melancholy desert, Avhose barren 



MOTIVES OF THE CONSTRUCTORS OF THE TOMBS. 109 

sands hold irreconcilable and ceaseless war -vvitli ever}'' principle of life, did the 
lords of Thebes go out to build these mighty monuments to their own nothing- 
ness ? Upon what principles did they reason when they excavated palaces so 
finished and adorned for the senseless clay ? These tombs could never admit the 
light of day, and can now be contemplated by the wondering traveller only by 
the glare of the torches which he bears to enlighten his doubtful way ; and we 
cannot convince ourselves that these sepulchres were thus elaborately prepared 
and in such a place, to attract the admiration of living men. They might, 
indeed, have furnished a memento mori to the prince, and there seems a digni- 
fied and sober forethought in the reigning monarch who is no sooner seated 
upon a throne of earthly glory, than he begins to prepare for himself a habita- 
tion in the dust. But the longing after immortality furnishes a far more reason- 
able ground for conjecture ; and that irrepressible yearning of the soul to bound 
onward into eternity, that desire for an u.nending life, which dwells more or 
less in the bosom of every living intelligence, may furnish a clue to the laby- 
rinth and a key to open the secrets of these splendid mausolea. "Why, these 
ancient princes might have said to themselves, why should not my spirit return 
to this body, which is so skilfully embalmed ? And when the soul comes 
back, carefully seeking her former dwelling, should she not receive a worthy 
welcome ? Will it not please her to enter into a mansion fitly adorned and 
prepared for her new residence and her blissful re-union ? When the great 
cycle is accomplished, and all things become again what they now are, and the 
rejoicing spirit returns from her long and weary pilgrimage, to the body which 
she once dignified and ennobled, let all things be worthily prepared for the 
entrance of the illustrious wanderer ! — Such, we may imagine, where all is lost 
in conjecture, to have been the thoughts which guided the royal architects 
when they profusely lavished their treasures upon these sumptuous habitations 
for the perishing clay ! 

But perhaps a more rational solution of the great care bestowed upon the 
bodies of the dead, may be found in the following extract : " If we here trace 
a rapid sketch of the notions which the Egyptians had formed of a future state, 
their sepulchral paintings may seem more intelligible. If, as Diodorus asserts, 



110 EGYPTIAN IDEA OF A FUTURE STATE. 

fhey regarded life as a passage, and their earthly dwellings as inns, it is equally 
certain that no Epicurean or Hedonic philosopher could have sought more 
eagerly to strew that passage with flowers, or to crowd their inns with more 
images and instruments of pleasure. In what consisted the happiness reserved 
for the pious in the next world, antiquity has furnished us with no means of 
discovering. — Those spirits which were most happy dwelt near the body, in 
the cities of the dead, where, wandering invisible through their vast and silent 
mansions, lighted, perhaps, by the brightness of their own eyes, they watched 
with intense interest over the decay of their ancient earthly companions, into 
which, on the festivals of the Manes, they may have been permitted to enter, 
that by the aid of material organs they might snuff up the savors exhaling 
from the delicious viands devoured in their honor by their descendants. The 
number of years to be thus passed by the spirit is not known with certainty ; 
some imagining they were excluded from final beatitude in the celestial man- 
sions during a whole revolution of the great cycle of three thousand years, 
after which, having undergone a palingenesia, or second birth, they ascended to 
the stellar S23heres, from which they originally came." 

The labor and expense lavished ujDon these gorgeous monuments of the 
dead; which, save in their darkness and seclusion, resemble far more the sump- 
tuous abodes of the living, must ever remain a striking example of the infatua- 
tion of man, as well as a proof of the religious tendencies of his nature, and 
his yearning after immortality. 

" strange race of men ! more anxious to prepare 
Their last abodes, and make them grand or fair, 
Than grace their living homes ; one gloomy thought 
Their souls possessed, one honor still they sought — 
To lie in splendor, and to hear in death 
Life's form and seeming — all things but its breath. 

What though around them summer flowers might bloom, 
And bright suns shine, — they only saw the tomb, 
Wished tliere to rest their unconsuming clay, 
And dream, in pomp, eternal years away. 



THE PLAIN OF THEBES. Ill 

For this they gathered gold, the slave, the king ; 
And all the wealth that toiling years could bring 
Was lavished oft on rites which e'en outshone 
The conqueror's march, the pageants of a throne ! " 

Upon our return, instead of following tlie patli which had conducted us 
hither, we were advised to take a different route, and one that led us to an emi- 
nence overlooking the whole valley of Thebes. A portion of this pathway was 
very steep, so that we were obliged to dismount from our horses and climb up 
the side of the hill with no little difficulty. But we were amply repaid for all 
our toil by the view which burst upon us from the summit. Altogether this 
was the most magnificent view that met our eyes in Egypt. We had indeed 
beheld a glorious prospect from the citadel of Cairo. There we had at our feet 
the living city, but were still connected with the almost fabulous past by the 
mighty pyramids, Avhose silent eloquence contrasted so strongly with the hum 
of the living world below. But here we had just come from the city of the 
dead, and looked down upon the uninhabited plain where once stood the great- 
est city of Egypt. The site was well chosen for the purposes which governed 
the men of those ancient days. For here was the broadest plain of Egypt, and 
the Nile was winding his majestic and companionless course through the capa- 
cious valley. Upon that plain, now deserted, stood once the glory and the 
capital of Egypt, and in the midst of all the scenes which we now saw unal- 
tered, princes and forgotten generations once occupied their day. But how is the 
current of events changed by those ages that have passed between 1 The city 
which once stood tipon this plain has but left behind her some melancholy 
wrecks of her former greatness, while the advancing tide of human civilization 
has for ever put out her glory. When Thebes was built upon this plain, her 
inhabitants sufficed to themselves, and lived in isolation from the rest of man- 
kind. The seat of empire next changed to Memphis, then to Cairo, ever 
advancing towards the sea, till at last it became seated at Alexandria, on the 
borders of that inland ocean, through Avhich alone Egypt can rise to any part 
of her pristine greatness, and again become one among the nations of the 
earth. 



112 THE MEMNONIUM. 

But we were attracted from such reflections on the past and the possible 
future, by the -wonderful scene around i\s. The Arabian Mountains, rising 
beyond the river with all their beauty of outline, and between us and the hills 
the ruins of the ancient cities of Karnak and Luxor ; the river winding in its 
fertilizing course through the capacious plain of variegated green ; the colossi 
diminished in size by the distance, but distinctly visible upon the plain between 
us and the river ; at our feet the world-renowned Memnonium, and the ruins of 
Meedinet Aboo ; the softness and transparency of the atmosphere, and the rich 
and golden mantle which the rays of the sun threw over the whole ; all these 
combined made this a prospect never to be forgotten. 



THE MEMNONIUM. 

We now descended from this elevation, and directed our steps towards what 
is called the Memnonium, though according to modern discoveries, it should 
properly be entitled the palace of Rameses the Great. This ruin, for the 
elegance of its architecture and the symmetry of its design, is thought to be 
one of the most finished monuments of Egypt. Though now reduced to ruin, 
its original plan may be distinctly made out. The front, which looks towards 
the south, must have consisted originally of two immense pyramidal structures, 
which are now completely ruined; but by means of the steps which still 
remain, we were enabled to get to the summit of one of them. From this we 
could look down into the first court, which was about one hundred and eighty 
feet square. In this court, and near the entrance of the temple, was placed the 
statue of Eameses, of colossal dimensions, and hewn out of one solid piece of 
granite. The figure was seated after the manner of many of the Egyptian 
sculptures, with its hands placed upon the knees, and was seventy-five feet in. 
height and about twenty-three feet across the shoulders. It excited ovir admira- 
tion, how such an immense mass of bluish granite, different from all the stones 
in the neighborhood, should have been moved from its quarry, but it occasioned 
little less surprise how the gigantic statue could be overthrown and broken to 





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DESTBUCTION BY FIRE. — AECHITECTUEE AND SCULPTUEE. 113 

pieces in the manner whicli we beheld. No traces of any instrument employed 
for this purpose can be discovered, and we hazarded a conjecture, which we 
believe is a novel one, that the destruction was accomplished by the action of 
fire and water, the latter being thrown upon the statue while it was yet hot. 
This conjecture derives strength from the appearance of several of the fractures, • 
which bear the same marks as I have noticed in the case of granite houses 
injured by fire. It seems to accord with the prediction of the prophet Jere- 
miah, " And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he 
shall burn them, and carry them away captives." (Jeremiah XLIII., 12.) 
Ascending the stejDS which lead into the second court, which is about one hun- 
dred and brty by one hundred and seventy feet, and was originally surrounded 
by columns also, we entered another area, or the principal hall. Through 
the centre of this run two rows of immense columns, twelve in number, 
and about thirty-two feet in height and twenty-one in circumference, the 
great circumference, in comparison with the height, giving them a low mas- 
sive appearance. On each side are eighteen columns of smaller size, making 
forty-eight in the whole number. The dimensions of this hall are one 
hundred feet by one hundred and thirty-three. Beyond these are three large 
chambers, with three more on each side. It is impossible by description to 
give any correct idea of this ruin, but what has been said may serve to show 
its immense size. The external walls are covered with representations of bat- 
tles, and of the mode in which warfare was then carried on ; the return of the 
king in triumph, his offerings to the gods, and other subjects, sculptured in low 
relief, with little accuracy of drawing, but with marvellous effect. 

At Koorneh, a short distance to the north-east of these majestic ruins, are 
others, less in extent and less imposing, though remarkable for their symmetry. 
We ought to have visited them before going to the Memnonium, as it is not 
well in such sight-seeing to go from the greater to the less ; and besides, we 
were by this time too much fatigued to appreciate justly an object which any 
where else, and at a more propitious moment, would have filled us with admi- 
ration. These ruins are much dilapidated, and portions completely filled with 
rubbish and sand, so that the original plan cannot be easily traced, as in the 
15 



114 TEMPLE PALACE AT KOOENEH — EARLY RISING. 

Memnoiiium. It was a temple dedicated to Amun, tlie Theban Jupiter, and at 
the same time designed for tlie residence of one of the kings. On this account, 
I presume, the compound name of temple-palace has been given to it. We 
noticed the frequent introduction of the ram's head as the symbol especially 
appropriate to Jupiter Ammon, and were informed by our books that the hiero- 
glyphics record that the temple was begun by Osirei about 1380 years before 
Christ, and was completed by his son Remeses, who was supposed to be the 
Sesostris of the Greeks. The principal thing that struck us was a large cham- 
ber, the ceiling of which had a fine effect. It was divided into compartments, 
varied but ingeniously combined by the introduction of circular, square, and 
lozenge-shaped patterns, painted in blue, red, yellow, and white. The sculp- 
tures on the walls were remarkably well cut. Over the door was the ornament 
so common in Egyptian temples, the globe with serpent and wings, and the 
walls were covered with symbolical designs which, if deciphered, would no 
doubt relate some of the piincipal events in the times of the kings who founded 
the temple. 

The approach of darkness now warned us to make the best of our way to 
the river, which we had to cross in order to reach our boat, which lay upon the 
opposite shore. 

March 1st. — We were in a region of too exciting an interest, and had too 
little time at our disposal, to allow ourselves more rest than was absolutely 
necessary, and were therefore uj) betimes. Upon going on shore we were 
informed that the governor of Esneh, to whose province Luxor belongs, had 
arrived the night before for the purpose of administering justice. We decided, 
therefore, to go and pay our respects to him. The Turks are early risers, and 
wisely avail themselves of the cool of the morning for the transaction of busi- 
ness. Soon after sunrise, then, we found the governor in his audience-room, 
which indeed was but a sorry looking place for such a dignitary. The house 
was a rude wooden frame-work building, filled in with plaster, which seemed 
to be principally a yellow mud. The court-yard was crowded with the common 
people of the country, with a few of the governor's attendants interspersed, 
making bargains, perhaps, as to what decision their master should give in their 



COURTESY OF A TURKISH GOVERNOR — LUXOE. 115 

respective cases. And here, we fear, as in other places where commodities are 
sold, " best pay best served." The crowd gave way, and by a flight of outside 
stairs we entered the room. It Avas like a common room, left with only the 
first coating of brown, and entirely unfarnished, with the exception of an otto- 
man upon two sides. In the corner sat the great man, cross-legged, with cush- 
ions about him, smoking his pipe. Upon our entrance, business was suspended, 
and our dragoman mentioned who we were. The governor immediately, in the 
most courteous manner, motioned to us to take our seats near him. We had 
hardly done so, when coffee and pipes were brought to us. We held a short 
conversation with him, by means of our dragoman, who was our interpreter. 
When he was informed that our object was to visit the ruins at Karnak, he 
immediately said, " You must not walk, and the horses here are not fit for you : 
you shall have my horses." He had hardly spoken the word, when two 
attendants went off at a quick pace to execute his orders. Making our best 
acknowledgments for this unexpected attention, we now left his excellency, the 
proceedings of a Turkish coiTrt of justice having no interest for us. 

Luxor is certainly a most remarkable place. We have before seen the mas- 
sive ruins of temples and colonnades all desolate, or with a few sheep and goats 
wandering about the deserted courts. But here were the beautiful remains of 
a remote antiquity, mixed up in a most singular manner with the rude mud- 
walled cottages of a modern people, and their cow-pens, stables, and sheds for 
cattle. The temple of Luxor is not only surrounded by the modern village, 
but every available space is filled with it. The temple must originally have 
been more than eight hundred feet in length by two hundred in width. Many 
of the Columns are standing, but the greater portion of the walls have been 
thrown down and the materials carried away. Besides the columns, many of 
the statues which adorned the edifice still remain, and it is singular to see in 
different places the heads thrusting themselves out from a mass of rubbish. In 
order to obtain a sight of many of the parts, and much of the sculpture on the 
walls, it is necessary to clamber up to the roofs of the modern houses, and get 
through their filthy yards. A trifling gratuity obtains the permission to do 
this. Were the ruin cleared of these modern incumbrances, it would doubtless 



116 OBELISKS AT LUXOE AND PARIS. 

present a very grand appearance, and many beautiful parts would be revealed, 
■wMcb are now completely buried. The columns in one part are very stately, 
covered with sculpture and hieroglyphics. Their dimensions are twelve feet in 
diameter and about forty feet in height, with finely wrought bell-shaped capi- 
tals. But the point of principal interest is the grand entrance. A little to the 
east of it were two beautiful obelisks eighty feet high, and ten feet at the base, 
covered all round, and from top to bottom, with hieroglyphics deeply and 
sharply chiselled into the solid granite. One only remains in its original posi- 
tion, the other was removed to Paris with great labor and expense. Its eleva- 
tion upon the pedestal prepared for it in the Place de la Concorde, was con- 
sidered to be quite a triumph of mechanical skill, and excited the attention of 
all France, and even Europe. What then must have been the skill, the enter- 
prise, and the resources of that wonderful people who so many ages since cut 
out from their native quarries these hundreds of immense blocks, transported 
them long distances, wrought the hard material into columns and obelisks, 
covered them over with the richest sculptures, and then planted them in 
symmetrical order to sustain and adorn their vast temples. Behind the obe- 
lisks, and on each side of the grand entrance, are two immense statues, repre- 
senting the king seated in the usual attitude, but all the lower portions are 
buried in the sand. 

Our farther examinations were interrupted by the approach of the gover- 
nor's horses. They were the iinest animals we had seen in Egypt, and were 
brought to us richly caparisoned and led by their Arab gTooms in full dress, 
armed with sabres and pistols in their girdles. The distance to Karnak was 
something less than two miles. The road lay through fields of a coarse grass 
which is said to spring up when there are ruins of ancient buildings beneath 
the soil. The whole plain was doubtless once covered over, and there are 
sufficient indications to show that formerly a broad avenue led from the Temple 
of Luxor to that of Karnak. It was lined on each side with a row of sphinxes, 
and in one part of it were the fragments of quite a number of these imaginary 
creations, and enough remains to show that they were sculptured with exqui- 
site art. 




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THE TEMPLE OF KARNAK. 117 

"We eagerly pressed on. We rode round tliis -wilderness of gigantic ruins, 
one thousand one hundred and eighty feet in extreme length, one mile and a 
half in circumference. We dismounted and walked leisurely through and over 
in all directions, stopping often in mute admiration. We went to the grand 
entrance and ascended the massive towers ; we crossed the large open court, 
275 feet by 329, with a covered passage on the sides and a double line of large 
columns through the centre. We entered the grand hall, 329 feet by 170, 
through the centre of which is an avenue of twelve cohimns 66 feet high and 
12 in diameter, and on each side of these seven rows of lesser columns, over 
40 feet in height by 9 in diameter. We gazed upon the sculptures on the 
outer walls — the battle scenes, the triumphs of the king, the homage done him 
by captive nations, his offering to the gods ; and with an interest deeper than all 
upon the portion representing the capture of the Jews by Shishak in the reign 
of Eehoboam. But can I describe all this ? Language would fail me, even if 
the space allowed me would suffice. Nothing can exceed the grandeur of the 
ruins of the Temple of Karnak. Those of Eome sink into comparative insig- 
nificance. The Colosseum alone keeps its hold upon the imagination, and even 
that is far less remarkable as a work of man than the Temple of Karnak. It is 
nothing like as extensive or as massive in its details, and were it as much dilap- 
idated, would seem as nothing in comparison. I fully realize the impressions 
of a former traveller, and appropriate his animated language to convey them to 
the reader. "Do not expect architectural plans or descriptions from me. I have 
neither time nor patience for them. I will only say that all I had anticipated of 
Egyjjtian magnificence fell short of the reality, and that it was here, surveying 
these Osiride pillars, that splendid corridor, with its massy circular colums, those 
walls, lined within and without with historical sculptures of the deepest inte- 
rest, the monarch's wars with the eastern nations bordering on the Euphrates — 
study for months, years rather I it was here, I say, here, where almost every 
peculiarity of Egyptian architecture is assembled in perfection, that I first learnt 
to appreciate the spirit of that extraordinary people, and to feel that, poetless 
as they were, they had a national genius, and had stamped it on the works of 
their hands, lasting as the Iliad." 



118 THE ARAB CHIEF AT A FRANK DINNER. 

The attentions of the governor demanded from us some acknowledgment, 
and after conferring with our dragoman upon the propriety of the step as a 
question of etiquette, we invited liis excellency to dine with us on board our 
boat. The invitation was at once accepted, and about sunset he came to us at 
the river's edge, attended by his pipe-bearer and several other persons. He 
was accompanied also by a venerable looking man, who we were told was the 
chief of an extensive tribe of Arabs, and had very large possessions — an 
immense tract of country, thirty thousand camels, and small cattle without 
number. Having come to visit the governor, and learning that he was to dine 
with us, he said he should like to go also and see the strangers. The custom 
of eastern hospitality allowed him to do so without invitation, and we were 
certainly most happy to receive him. Probably this was the first time he had 
ever eaten with Franks, and all was very strange to him. He was evidently 
a wag, and in a good-natured way, made many observations which excited 
a good deal of laughter amongst the Arabs who thronged the door of our 
cabin — for here again we cheerfully conformed to the eastern custom of 
letting the multitude become spectators of the feast. The chief found some 
difficulty in seating himself at table, instead of taking his habitual cross-legged 
attitude ; he then, in imitation of us and the governor, who was a Turk from 
Constantinople, and had been a travelled man, took up a knife and fork, and 
held them with a quizzical look, but could do nothing with them, and so upon 
an intimation from us, fell to with his fingers in his plate. The wine he tasted, 
but shook his head and would not drink, while the governor felt no such 
scruple. But he was most of all amused with our coffee-cups, which were of 
the size of an ordinary breakfast-cup ; those he had alwaj^s been accustomed to 
use being hardly as large as an egg-cup. He asked what was in them, and 
being told it was coffee, he laughed outright and said, "Why not give it me in 
a wash-tub at once ?" Our dinner, however, went off very pleasantly. As the 
dishes left our table, they were put into the hands of the attendants, who were 
outside, and who, according to custom, were privileged to have their share of the 
feast. Thus every particle of the provision Avas consumed, and all were appai'ently 
much gratified ; nor were we less pleased at this illustration of eastern manners. 




TOMB OF SULTAN KAITBAY. 



E.AjpJei-on Sr C? 200, Bioadway. Esw Obrl 



THE HARP OF MEMNON. 119 

March 2d. — TMs morning we A^ere again "stirring with the lark," and 
wished to have been in time to hear, if possible, " the Harp of Memnon, which 
sounded to the rising sun," or at least to say that we had been there in due 
time, but, like all who have visited it since the priests have disappeared, heard 
no sound. As, however, we had to cross to the western bank of the river, and 
then ride some distance over the plain, we were too late. 

The statue of Memnon (which name is said to be a corruption of Mi-ammon, 
or " the beloved of Ammon," the favorite title of Rameses the Great), is one of 
two colossal figures, between fifty and sixty feet in height, which stand in a 
line with each other, facing the east, and about forty feet apart. Their position 
on the wide solitary plain, with the Libyan mountains for a back-ground, their 
attitude, — being seated in perfect repose, with the palms of the hands resting 
upon the knees, — and their immense size, produce a striking and almost sublime 
effect as you approach them. Coming near, you perceive that they have been 
much mutilated. The general outline can be traced, but the faces are destroyed 
and the other parts much disfigured. The southern statue is one entire block, 
and so probably was the other, or the Memnon, originally. But it fell asunder, 
or was shattered by an earthquake, before our Saviour's time, and was repaired, 
and now seems to consist of separate though massive blocks of stone. We had 
read that the secret of the sounding statue was disclosed by the discovery of a 
block of stone in the lap of the figure, which, on being struck, produced a ring- 
ing noise, and we determined to tiy the experiment. With great difficulty, and 
by placing one man upon the shoulders of another, one of our Arabs succeeded 
in getting iip. He was directed to strike with a fragment of stone that was 
thrown up to him, upon various parts, when the sound produced was perfectly 
dead, as if the blow was upon a solid wall. Again he struck, and a clear ring- 
ing sound, like that from an anvil, was produced, or, as it has been described, 
the striking upon brass. This experiment we tried repeatedly, and the Arab 
produced the effect without our being able to see him from below. We became 
satisfied, therefore, that the Harp of Memnon was nothing more than an artifice 
of the priests. One of them, by a secret passage within the body of the statue, 
could gain access to the sounding stone, and at sunrise produce an effect which, 



120 MEEDINET ABOU — TOMBS OF THE QUEENS. 

when the block was perfect, miglit easily be supposed to resemble the twanging 
of a harp-string. The people of the country, however, still believe that Mem- 
non was once vocal, and the Arabs call it Salamat, or the statue that bids good 
morning. 

A short distance from these colossal statues, and upon the ledge of rock 
which borders the plain and forms the base of the Libyan hills, is situated the 
Temple of Meedinet Abou. This is the fourth of the great temples of Thebes, 
the others being Karnak, Luxor, and the Memnonium. The name, as indeed is 
the case in most of the names of places in a foreign language, is very differently 
spelt, in the effort to represent the native pronunciation. It is said that it 
ought to be written Medeena Tabou, that is to say, the city of Tabou or Thebes. 
This temple, or rather assemblage of temples, was constructed at different 
]3eriods, — the original edifice by one of the Pharaohs, who reigned more than 
one thousand five hundred years before our Saviour, but the more modern 
parts by the Ptolemies and Csesars. More recently still, one of the areas had 
been converted into a Christian Church, by the erection of an altar at the east 
end and covering the Pagan sculptures with plaster. The battle-pieces on the 
walls are more graphic than any we have seen, but I despair of my ability to 
describe them. 

From this temple we went again to the Memnonium, and afterwards to 
some private tombs in the rocky ledges above, and thence to the valley of the 
Tombs of the Queens. One of the private tombs is particularly interesting, as 
containing a fuller delineation of the modes of ancieiit life than can elsewhere 
be found ; but the Tombs of the Queens have little to attract the attention of 
those who are not conversant with the hieroglyphic writing. I might attempt 
a farther account of these tombs, with those of the Kings, and of the four grand 
temples I have mentioned, but in addition to the difiiculty of the undertaking, 
I fear to detain my readers, who may feel impatient, as even I did at this 
time, to be on the return voyage, though surroixnded by these wonders of ages 
long past. But as there Avill probably be some amongst those who may honor 
these pages with a perusal, to whom fuller descriptions will be acceptable, — I 
will beg to refer such to the Appendix. 




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CAPTIVE OBELISKS. 121 



OUR LAST DAY IN THEBES. 

March Bd. — This being our last day at Thebes, we decided to pass it iu a 
farewell visit to two objects of great interest, and which have, perhaps, 
more deeply attracted us than any others where all has been invested with 
the highest charm. After breakfast, therefore, we took our guide and mules 
and went to Karnak, and passing in company through the village of Luxor, we 
paused to contemplate once more the beautiful obelisk. This, though buried to 
a considerable distance in the accumulating sand, seemed to me more majestic, 
and certainly filled me with greater admiration, than its sister obelisk at Paris, 
which I shall now feel to be more out of place than ever. Indeed, I shall have 
little pleasure in again seeing that, or the obelisks at Rome, unless it be that 
they bring back to my mind, by association, the great satisfaction I have derived 
from looking at this beautiful pillar in its real position, and ii^ harmony with 
all around it. True, the obelisks at Karnak and Luxor do not show the whole 
of their shafts, and in this respect are not seen to full advantage. They are, 
moreover, somewhat mutilated, and one at Karnak lies prostrate in ruins ; but 
then they are surrounded by fallen columns, by broken masses of stone, and 
by portions of ruinous edifices, and thus are in perfect keeping with their posi- 
tion. The sculptures and hieroglyphics too, which cover both, show that they 
belong to the same locality, and as they are now so have they always existed in 
admirable congruity. But the obelisk in Paris, and those at Rome, will seem 
to me standing like captives amongst a people with whom they have no associa- 
tions. They will bring to mind the story of the aged and white-haired prisoner, 
released from the Bastile, who came out to see around him a generation of peo- 
ple, and modes of dress and manners, of which he knew nothing. They will 
look as if they would speak like him, and ask to be restored to their solitary 
and desolate prisons. 

From Lixxor a ride of less than an hour brought us to Karnak, but we 
approached the temple by a different entrance from that which we had before 
taken. The several avenues that lead to it, seem to have been lined with 
16 



122 FAEEWBLL TO KARNAK. 

sptiinxes, and the effect upon one passing tlirougli them must have been in the 
highest degree impressive, and well calculated to compose the mind and j)repare 
it for the contemplation of the majestic spectacle within, and for the worship of 
the gods to whom the whole was dedicated. The attitude of the sphinx is one 
of rej)0se, but not of slumber. The animal part rests upon its bended legs, with 
the fore-paws stretched out in front ; but the neck and head are erect. The 
latter are sometimes human and sometimes those of an animal. In this avenue 
the head seemed to be that of a ram ; but every figure was much mutilated, 
and all were partly buried in the earth. Farther on we entered a ruined gate- 
way, leading to a square that had been surrounded with seated figures ; and in 
the centre of the square we saw the foundations of a temple. Coming to the 
portions we had been over in our former visit, we again walked slowly through 
these stupendous ruins, stopping in admiration at the great hall with its lofty 
and massive columns, before the obelisks, and in front of different parts of the 
sculptured wall, particularly where the triumph of Shishak over the Jews is 
so graphically represented. After thus making the circuit of this enormous 
pile of ruins and taking our last look, not unmingled with regret, we returned 
to Luxor. 

We then went to pay our respects and bid farewell to the governor and to 
the agent of the Pasha, who had shown us so much attention. We sent them 
some few presents, with Avhich they seemed to be much pleased. The 
governor, learning that we were going away immediately, regretted that he 
had not the opportunity of sending to one of his villages for a sheep and 
some other things, as an expression of the pleasure he had received in meeting 
with us. 

Wishing to employ the remainder of the day in a last visit to the tombs of the 
kings, we took our small boat and dropped down the river on the western bank, 
opposite Luxor, to what is called the sycamore tree. There we mounted our 
donkeys and commenced a ride to the tombs. At the entrance of the valley we 
met our friends the Crosbys, returning. They were quite astonished to learn 
how long we had been before them, and that this was our second visit to the 
tombs of the kings. We spent the remainder of the afternoon in Belzoni's 



Bi 




EETUEN FEOM THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS 123 

tomb, and in the tomb of tlie harpers, these being the principal ones, which had 
most interested ns before. This second visit served to increase onr admiration 
of these wonderful works and of the people by whom they had been planned 
and executed, at a time too when what is now the civilized world, if at all peo- 
pled, was in a state of barbarism. Our return ride was a most delightful one. 
The air was calm and warm but not oppressive, the sky unclouded, the sun 
setting beneath the canopy of gold which he had made for himself, and the 
moon half-full shedding her silver light upon our path, so that the golden glory 
of the western sky, and the soft beams of her who had come forth in beauty to 
rule the night, mingling together, formed a tempered light most grateful to the 
eyes after they had been exposed to the fervid glow of the sun for a whole day. 
"We had invited the Crosbys to dine with us, and soon after our return they 
came on board our boat, and we passed a very pleasant evening together, talk- 
ing over our past experiences in the valley of the Nile. As we conducted them 
to their boat, which lay near to ours, we saw another just arriving at the bank, 
and found it to be that of our English friends, the Guthries. We immediately 
went on board, and had an hour's conversation with them, giving them all the 
suggestions we could think of to facilitate their visit to the antiquities of 
Thebes. 



ITnipge km tlje Silt. 



We put off on our return to Cairo between eleven and twelve o'clock 
at night. The wind was calm, and, going with the stream, our men 
could ply their oars, which they seemed to do with a very good will. 
We were saluted by our friends with a few guns, which we returned as we 



124 VISIT TO DENDERA. 

passed by. Thus have we bid farewell to Thebes, after a visit of five days, 
most industriously devoted to seeing all that we could in a place so replete 
with interest that five weeks, if we had them to spare, would have seemed too 
short. 

March Mi. — This morning we woke at a late hour, our boat still rowing 
down the river. We were both exceedingly fatigued, from the incessant 
exertion and excitement of the last five days. For myself I can say that I 
never in all my life felt so completely exhausted by reason of combined bodily 
and mental labor. The greater part of the forenoon was spent in rest, but we 
did not forget that, being the day of sacred rest, it was also that of worship, 
and we united together as usual in the church service, remembering in our 
prayers our beloved families and our friends in Rome and in America. In the 
afternoon we arrived at Keneh, opposite to which, a short distance from the 
river, is the temple of Tentyra, or, as it is often spelt, Dendera. Although so 
much fatigued, we could not pass by without going to see these celebrated 
remains of antiquity, and we accordingly crossed the river and took donkeys 
and a guide. 



TEMPLE OP DENDERA. 

A ride of two miles over a plain covered with a coarse tall grass and with 
occasional clumps and single trees of the doum palm, brought us to those con- 
fused heaps of rubbish, brick, and fragments of earthenware, which in Egypt 
designate the site of an ancient city. The temple, though surrounded with 
these heaps, is not buried by them. Against portions of the lower courses of 
the outside wall, the dirt is indeed piled up, but the interior is free, and the 
whole plan of the edifice can easily be made out, more perfectly, indeed, than 
that of any ancient building we have yet seen. In antiquity, this temple can- 
not compare with the sublime ruins we have just left, as it is now ascertained, 
by deciphering the hieroglyphics, to have been erected at a period as late as the 
Roman dominion in Egypt. One critic has said that "it bears extreme evidence 



DECLINE OF EGYPTIAl^ ARCHITECTURE. 125 

of the great decadence of tlie art at the jDcriod of its erection." "The spirit 
which animated the early ages in this country had long passed away, the forms 
only remained. The peculiar turn of spirit which breathes from even the most 
insignificant .remains of the Pharaonic period is quite wanting here ; it is 
dead, formal, and in details quite uninteresting — or if one's curiosity be excited 
by the zodiacs and planispheres, which are one of the peculiar features of this 
temple, the fact again recurs to the mind that they are, after all, but imitations 
of what we hare already seen in the tombs of the Pharaohs, made to be stared 
at, not felt and understood." We were probably not sufficiently conversant 
with the subject to decide upon the justice of this criticism, but it is certain 
that the temple of Dendera, though it exists in a far more perfect state than 
those of Thebes, excited in us far less admiration. Had we visited it before 
going to Karnak, the first impression would doubtless have been different, but 
not even in this case could it have produced any touch of the feeling of the 
sublime. No one, I think, could write about Karnak, Meedinet Abou, or the 
Memnonium, in a jocose strain. But the following graphic enumeration of the 
subjects of the sculptures upon the walls of the temple of Dendera would never, 
I think, suggest the thought that it had been written in a spirit of inappropriate 
levity. 

" There is not the surface of an inch unoccupied by sculpture in any part of 
the interior. Here are gods, goddesses, and priests ; there flowers, symbols, and 
sacred animals : they are grouped and separate, at sacrifice and at prayer. 
There is Apis, Isis, and Ibis ; Osiris, Horus, and Annubis ; the crux, the lotus, 
the passive lion, and the hawk ; and these in all forms and shapes, and under 
the most fanciful varieties. In one place is seen the mitred head of a lion, end- 
ing in petticoats below, visum teneatis ? and seated with all the dignity of Dido. 
Here the irresistible power of beauty appears, represented upon an inverted 
principle. Near this latter figure is a graceful looking youth, who, to personify 
the impudence of his age, is endued with the head of a dog. Eapacity is exhi- 
bited in a small active mortal, with the face of a hawk ; meanness and falsehood 
are sheltered under the bare lank neck and crouching head of the Ibis ardea ; 
or it may be that the lion-headed lady, who being seated, is doubtless a goddess. 



126 



ATHOE. — THE ASHTOEETH OP MILTON. 



represents the power and beauty of religion : the other figures, the divers 
depravities of those who professed to be her votaries. At all events, these 
things always were, and still remain mysterious ; and, until they are satisfacto- 
rily explained, every man has a right to make what he pleases of them." 




TEMPLE OF DENDEKA. 



This lively description of what may be seen upon the walls and ceiling of 
the temple, gives no idea of its general form and the arrangement of its parts, 
nor would the reader be able to gather from it to what particular deity it was 
dedicated. A few additional notices, therefore, will not be without interest. In 
giving these I shall occasionally avail myself of the assistance of a former 
traveller, who had more time to examine these ruins than we could command. 
We were there, however, about three hours, sufficiently long to verify his 
account. 

The temple, I must premise, was erected in honor of that deity who, under 
different names, has been worshipped wherever idolatry has prevailed- — Aphro- 
dite, Venus, and, in Egypt, Athor. The same to Avhom our great epic poet 
alludes when describing 



" Tliose 'who from the pit of hell 
Roaming- to seek their ]ivoy on earth, (hirst fix 



SYMBOLICAL DESIGN OF THE TEMPLE. 127 

Their seats long after next the seat of God, 
Their altars by His altar." 

With these in troop 
Came Ashtoreth, whom the Phffinicians call'd 
Astarte, Queen of Heaven, with crescent horns ; 
To whose bright image nightly by the moon 
Sidonian vij'gins paid their vows and songs ; 
In Zion also not unsmig, where stood 
Her temple on th' offensive mountain, built 
By that uxorious king, whose heart, though large, 
Beguil'd by fair idolatresses, fell 
To idols fouL 

The whole edifice is about two hundred and thirty feet in length by about 
sixty in breadth, as nearly as we could judge by pacing it round. Though not 
buried in sand and rubbish, as I before mentioned, yet it is surrounded by 
heaps, which rise in front to half the height of the columns. From these you 
obtain a near view of the outer entablature, and can look down into the 
pronaos or vestibule. This consists of twenty-four columns, arranged in six 
rows four columns deep, three rows on one side and three on the other of the 
main entrance. It is plainly to be seen that the great design of the architect 
was to embody the Egyptian estimate of the character and attributes of the 
Divinity to whom the temple was dedicated. The capitals, the sculpture, the 
distribution of light, and all the interior arrangements, have a unity of design, 
and that to excite not a pure and holy, but an earthly and sensual love. " The 
cornices, the mouldings, contain the richest curves ; the capitals of the columns 
consist of a woman's face four times repeated, which appears to smile on you 
from whatever side you regard it ; the sculptures for the most part represent 
scenes of joy and pleasure, religious festivals, processions, groups charmed by 
the sounds of music, figures reclining on delightful couches, and women all 
softness and benevolence, with infants of different ages at the breast." 

We expected to find the interior one large hall, but it was divided into 
many cells and chambers, so dark that we were obliged to make a fire in the 



128 SHAMEFUL MUTILATION. — SYMBOLICAL SUN AND MOON. 

larger one, in order to give liglit enough to see tlie Meroglyphic sculpture 
wHcli covered the walls and ceiling. Many of these designs, especially in the 
upper and more secret chambers, go far beyond the bounds of decency. The 
light of fire is so requisite to illuminate these dim recesses, that the smoke 
from those kindled by previous travellers has in many parts nearly obliterated 
the mystic tracery on the walls. Going through a long corridor sculptured like 
the rest and half filled with sand, we came to a flight of steps which led to the 
upper apartments and the roof, constructed of huge blocks of stone. On these 
are carved the names of many travellers, mostly from America and England. 
Strange, to see the clumsy carving of modern names and initials, side by side 
with that mighty mystic language of dead ages, whose books were the temples 
of their gods, whose leaves were blocks of stone ! We have never felt tempted 
to transmit our names to posterity in this way. Here especially we saw regis- 
tered in undying characters the barbarism of the present day, for there was 
scarce a scul^jture in the upper part of the building which was not more or less 
defaced by the hammer and chisel, and in one of the chambers we saw the 
place where the Zodiac of Dendera was so shamefully cut away by the French. 
Among innumerable groups which still, however, remain, was one which was 
particularly striking, and I cannot better picture it than by an extract from the 
traveller whom I have before quoted. "A bearded figure, with his feet turned 
up to his head, so as with his body to form a complete circle, is represented 
surrounded with diverging beams, like the rising sun. Directly opposite is the 
figure of a woman, with legs and arms outstretched so as to describe a lunar 
crescent, and having her face turned towards the man, who seems to light up 
and kindle her whole figure with his rays. This is obviously a representation 
of the influence of the sun u^Don the moon. On the sides and bosom of the 
feniale are ntimerous diminutive figures of mortals adoring the full moon, on 
whose disk is a woman walking on her hands and feet, in order to resemble a 
cow, the symbol of Athor. On her arms is depicted a globe with himian legs, 
alluding perhaps to that article of their philosophical creed which taught that 
the world was a vast animal, the same on a grand as man on a small scale." In 
one place was sculptured a large female head, supposed to be a portrait of 



CLEOPATEA. — HEAD WINDS. 129 

Cleopatra. If so, slie did not possess the remarkable beauty whicli has gener- 
ally been ascribed to her. The question, however, we must leave with those 
who are versed in Egyptian antiquities and can read the hieroglyphics. We 
passed quickly through the many apartments, and found all alike covered with 
sculptures. Innumerable bats, disturbed by our approach, flew round and 
round, so that 'it was with difficulty we could keep them from extinguishing 
our torches. "We took a cursory view of the exterior walls, and found that 
where not purposely destroyed, the sculptures Avere in better condition. One 
thing especially struck us ; here were representations of human sacrifices, 
which plainly confutes the doctrine of some antiquarians, who say that the 
Egyptians never sacrificed men. 

March 5th. — We left Keneh last evening, and hoped to make good pro- 
gress during the night ; but we had a head wind, and moreover got aground, 
so that this morning we found ourselves little advanced. The wind continuing 
to be ahead, we were obliged to moor the boat to the shore, where we remained 
all day. We are greatly disappointed in having our progress down the river 
so much retarded. We supposed that after getting up to the point of our desti- 
nation against the stream, we should come down almost without effort. We 
find, however, that as the current runs but about two miles an hour, a head 
wind of any considerable strength renders it very difficult to row against it. In 
a calm, which usually comes on at night, we make pretty good progress. Our 
men having rested and slept nearly all day, got the boat under way about 
sunset. 

March 6th. — This morning with the sunrise, the wind again became so 
strong ahead that, after an hour or two's labor, we were obliged to come to at 
the bank of the river opposite to Farshiout. This place we noticed on our way 
up, in consequence of seeing on the bank a large sugar manufactory, erected by 
Ibrahim Pasha. In the afternoon we crossed the river in a ferry-boat to see it. 
Upon landing Ave observed large numbers of pigeons flying about and on the 
river bank, and quite an extensive village of dove-cotes, which from our boat 
had appeared like castellated houses. Upon getting nearer we found them 
square mud-built fabrics, ten or twelve feet by fifteen or twenty, close together 
17 



130 EGYPTIAN GUANO. — ANIMAL CHAKCOAL. 

and in two or three rows, forming, as it were, narrow streets. They were about 
twenty feet high, and their tops built in the form of battlements and iilled with 
holes. The flight and incessant cooing of the birds produced quite a noise. 
"We learned that they were kept chiefly for their manure, which is found to be 
very serviceable in raising the sugar-cane. "When the cane is about three feet 
high the manure is put around it and tends greatly to strengthen its gi-owth. 
This reminds us of what is related of the famine in Samaria (II. Kings, vi. 25), 
by which it appears that the use of guano is very ancient. This whole district 
abounds with the cane, and is in the possession of the family of Ibrahim Pasha. 

THE SUGAR FACTORY AT FARSHIOUT. 

We went to the factory, and were conducted through it by Mr. Fox, an English- 
man, who has charge of the machinery, the whole of which is moved by steam. 
First is the rolling-mill, consisting of two large cast-iron cylinders, between 
which the cane is put, and as it passes through the sap is caught in a trough 
underneath, and the cane flattened out is discharged on the other side. This 
refuse of the cane when dried for about ten days in the sun forms an excellent 
fuel for the furnace. The sap, which has a milky appearance, is conducted to a 
strainer, through which it passes to clear it from fibrous particles, into a cistern. 
Thence it is pumped by machinery into boilers, where it is mixed with a portion 
of lime and undergoes its first purification. It is next put into large cylindrical 
filterers, which are filled with charcoal made by charring bones of animals in 
iron vessels from which the air is excluded, and which are then put into a fur- 
nace. These bones we afterwards saw in large heaps, and were told that many 
of them were from the mummy pits at Thebes, and others from the desert, the 
remains of camels which had died on the journey and which had accumulated 
on the route. The mummy bones were principally those of animals, human 
bones when noticed being put aside, although these occasionally found their 
way into the pile. These bones, when charred, as above described, ai'e broken 
by a mill to the size of large gravel, but they take generally the cubic shape. 
The black mass of animal charcoal being thus trodden down hard into the 



PROCESS OF SUGAR-MAKING. 131 

filterers, the juice drawn from the boilers, where it has been puriJied with lime, 
is poured in, and filtering through, runs out into troughs, acquiring a much 
brighter and clearer color from this second purification. It is then again 
pumped up and made to fall over a succession of horizontal pipes, which rise to 
a considerable height, and are filled with steam, and as it falls in a continual 
shower from one pipe to another it is received into a receptacle beneath. By 
this process two purposes are effected. The cool sap falling on the pipes, con- 
denses the steam within, and the pipes heated by the steam serve to evaporate 
a jDortion of the watery particles from the syrup. The latter, now purified and 
condensed to a certain degree by this evaporation, is conveyed into large circu- 
lar receivers, which communicate with the horizontal pipes just mentioned. 
The effect of this contrivance is that the steam of the boiling sap being carried 
off and rapidly condensed, a vacuum is produced and the sap boils at a less 
degree of heat than it otherwise would do, and thus is not exposed to being 
burned. The purified syrup is now boiled till it becomes strong enough to 
granulate and form into a solid mass. It is then put into iron receivers, of the 
sugar-loaf form, where it is allowed to harden and cool. When it comes out it 
is in large loaves, but of a dingy color, like brown sugar. In this form it is an 
article of commerce, and a portion is sent away and used for ordinary consump- 
tion. But another portion is sent to Cairo, where it is again melted and under- 
goes a similar process of refining, and becomes white loaf-sugar. 

It was qtiite interesting to see and understand this process of making sugar 
from the cane. But when we heard of the means by which the labor attending 
the manufactiire was obtained, and how it was paid, we could not repress our 
indignation at the cruel and avaricious tyrant who was the proprietor of this 
establishment, and whose family now owns it. The machinery is managed by 
an Englishman, who very kindly conducted us through the works and gave us 
all the information we asked. The process of manufacture is superintended by 
a Frenchman, whom we did not see. These are well paid, or of course they 
would not remain here. Then there are other superintendents of different de- 
partments, partly white slaves of the Pasha's, who are well treated, and partly 
Arabs of the better class, who are probably well enough paid. But the whole 



132 OPPEESSIOK OF THE HIEELING. 

amount of servile labor is performed by men and boys, who are pressed for this 
service from the surrounding villages. Their pay is from fifteen to twenty-five 
paras per day, that is, from about a cent and a half to two cents and a half, and 
this not punctually paid, nor that in money, but in molasses from the manufac- 
tory, or in beans, or any other thing that is most convenient to the Pasha, and 
that he wishes to get off his hands. This the poor creatures are obliged to sell 
at a reduced price, so that they get but a small part of their wretched pittance, 
and this at uncertain times. Then again they are obliged to work twenty-four 
hours on a stretch, because it is more convenient to change the workmen at 
these long than at shorter periods. The consequence of all this is, that no 
voluntary laborers can be procured for the Pasha's factory. They are brought 
by force, and are compelled to stay out a certain time. We saw one young 
man with a clog on his leg, and were told it was put there to prevent his run- 
ning away, as he came from a distant village. When laborers are wanted, 
notice is sent to the Sheik of the village, and he is obliged to make up a certain 
number at his peril. The same detestable system of tyranny is practised in 
reference to the Pasha's lands. They are cultivated by forced labor, and for a 
miserable and insufiicient amount of wages ill paid. I venture to say, that there 
are no plantation negroes in our country so hard worked, so poorly fed and 
clothed, and so cruelly treated, as these Arab fellahs. But I shall have more 
to say of this part of the social system of Egypt, and of the conduct of Mehe- 
met Ali and his family towards their unfortunate subjects. 

Eeturning from this visit to the sugar manufactory, we saw another incon- 
testable proof of the atrocious tyranny of this government. In the ferry-boat 
that took us over were eight Arabs returning from their work, and of the eight, 
seven were maimed, having the fore-finger of the right hand cut off. We sent 
our dragoman, as a matter of curiosity, to look at the next boat load, which 
consisted of ten, all of whom were maimed in the same manner. We had 
heard that this artifice was adopted by the poor people to escape military 
service, and that for the same reason they had been in the practice of putting- 
out one of their eyes. The cruel tyrant however rendered this self-inflicted 
mutilation ineffectual by constituting four regiments of one-eyed men, and of 



POLICY OF MEHEMET ALL — EIDE TO ABYDOS. 133 

men destitute of the fore-finger. What stronger evidence can be adduced of a 
merciless system of tyranny, and what can be said in extenuation of the con- 
duct of such a ruler ? True indeed, Mehemet Ali has rendered Egypt perfectly 
safe to the foreign traveller, and has introduced some manufactures, some kinds 
of agriculture, as for example cotton and indigo, and has extended trade. But 
what have the mass of the people benefited by all this ? Nothing whatever. 
They are fewer in number, poorer, and more oppressed than before. The 
moving spring of all his policy has been the aggrandizement of himself and 
family ; and as yet I have not heard of a single measure, the object or the 
effect of which has been to elevate either the physical or the moral condition of 
his subjects. His son Ibrahim was equally selfish and more avaricious. What 
the present Pasha Abbas will do remains to be seen, but his accession seems to 
raise no favorable hopes of amelioration in the condition of this unhappy land. 
March 7th. — We left Farshiout at sunset, the wind having abated, and 
by rowing all night arrived in good season in the morning at Grirgeh. 
This is one of the places from which an excursion can be made to Arabat 
el Matfoon, the ancient Abydos. 



ABYDOS. 

The visit we made to it caused us no detention, for the head wind 
grew so violent that we could not possibly have made any progress. We 
had a long ride of at least three hours before us, but could procure no 
good accommodation for it. The only donkeys we could find had no bridles, 
and but a poor apology for a saddle, and that without stirrups. We supplied 
their place as well as we could with ropes, and taking our attendants 
to carry a luncheon, with candles, wood, &c., for lighting the dark places 
in the ruins, we set off. The ride, though long and very fatiguing, in conse- 
quence of our being so badly mounted, was yet exceedingly interesting. The 
valley of the Nile stretches out here into a wide plain of at least twelve miles, 
from the river to the foot of the Libyan hills, where Abydos and the ruined 



134 BEAUTIFUL PLAIN. — DECEPTIVE DISTANCES. 

temple and palace we were to visit, were situated. This plain is studded with 
villages, all thickly embowered in palm-trees, and the intermediate spaces are 
rich fields of wheat, clover, beans and peas, with occasional pasturage, on which 
flocks of buffaloes, sheep and goats, with camels and donkeys, were feeding. 
Our road was sometimes on the banks, through the bed of canals, now dry, for 
conveying the water of the Nile into the interior, but principally by a donkey- 
path, here skirting and there passing through the villages, and winding amongst 
the fields. These villages, which were now like mounds covered with mud- 
huts and clumps of trees, appear, when the Nile rises above the plain, like so 
many little islands. The inhabitants can then only communicate with each 
other by boats or by swimming, which is very common amongst the young 
people, both sexes acquiring this art in early childhood. We were here particu- 
larly struck with what we had often noticed before, the illusion as to the real 
distance of objects ; a deception produced by the combined effect of the dead 
level and the clear atmosphere. The Libyan hills and the point of our destina- 
tion seemed very near, and we repeatedly imagined that when we had passed 
the next village before us we should be there ; but the palm-covered mounds 
rose up one after another as if there would be no end to the succession, and 
between the villages we often found that it required a long ride to reach what 
appeared to be only a few furlongs from us. At last, however, we reached the 
village upon the very edge of the desert, near which are the ruins of Abydos. 
Here, as in all other places which are the sites of ancient cities, you pass over 
large heaps of blackish dust filled with fragments of stone and broken potter}^. 
Beyond these we came to hills of drifting sand, and the wind being very high, 
we could easily perceive how the ruins that were the object of our visit 
became filled to the very roof, so that from the sand we stepped directty iipon 
the immense slabs of stone, many of them twenty feet long, which formed the 
roof of the temple and the palace. Over this we walked and could see its 
extent ; but in order to reach the interior we had to crawl through an opening 
made beneath the entablature and between the columns, and kept open proba- 
bly by a current of wind. It was so choked up, however, that we could obtain 
only an imperfect idea of what it once was. But we saw enough to convince 



TEMPLE AlfD PALACE OF ABYDOS. — ANTIQUITY OF THE ARCH. 185 

lis of its former magnificence. We coiJd not see the length of a single column, 
bxit we were upon a level with the capitals and with the upper section of some 
of the shafts, and were within reaching distance of the flat roof of stone. The 
roof, walls, and pillars, were all sculptured in the richest manner with figures 
and hieroglyphics in bass-relief. All these must have been painted, for in 
some places, more protected than others, we could distinguish the colors which, 
as in other Egyptian buildings, were vivid red, blue, yellow, and green. But 
there was one portion of this edifice not entirely filled up with sand, which was 
of special interest, and that was a range of vaulted chambers that looked 
towards the Libyan hills. The vaults were formed by massive stones, placed 
edgewise upon the separating walls, and then hollowed out in the form of a 
regular semicircular arch. This arch and the walls on both sides were richly 
sculptured. We removed the sand for some little distance on one side, and a 
figure appeared, in bass-relief, upon a beautiful cream-colored stone of very fine 
texture. We could not, however, remove enough sand to ascertain more than 
that the figure was probably that of some person offering incense to an idol 
divinity ; but the execution, in respect to grace and perfection of chiselling, 
seemed fully to equal, if not to surpass, any thing of the kind we had seen. 
Could the whole building be cleared of the sand which now almost entirely 
buries it, we felt persuaded that a very beautiful specimen of ancient art would 
be developed. It is said to be one of the oldest of the remains of this whole 
region of antiquities, and was erected by Eameses the Second, the Sesostris of 
the Greeks. After devoting some time to the examination of these remains, 
we proceeded to the ancient tombs near them, with the view of seeing the 
arches of brick which were said to exist there, and which, as well as in the 
instance of another tomb at Thebes, prove that the principle of the arch was 
known to this remarkable people centuries before it was used by the Eomans. 
After some trouble with our Arab guides, whom we could not make to comjDre- 
hend what we were in search of, we discovered an opening into a tomb, and, 
clearing away the dirt and rubbish, we were able distinctly to make out a 
course of brick-work constructed precisely in the same manner in which a vault 
would be built in our day. 



136 LORD LINDSAY'S VISION" OF DELIGHT. — BEDOUIN ARABS. 

Eeturning by a different route, as we passed by tbe rear of tlie village, we 
came upon a small but very pretty circular pond, with its bank covered witb 
a grove of palms and surrounded by sand-hills. This we su]3posed to be the 
lake so enthusiastically described by Lord Lindsay in his letters from Egypt, 
and for which we had made inquiries without effect. " Think then," says he, 
"of our astonishment and delight at coming suddenly on a lonely little lake, 
nestled in a hollow of the sand-hills that form a sort of amphitheatre around it, 
girdled with graceful date-trees, and the doum or Theban palm with its fantastic 
head-gear, like a gay coquette by the side of a lovely single-hearted woman — 
of such the date-tree were a fit emblem. I cannot express to you the pleasure 
the discovery of this little lake gave me, and which will be as vivid years hence 
in recollection as when first it gleamed before me, ' a vision of delight.' " This 
description certainly prepared us for something more than we saw. But if we 
had not associations which could to us as to Lord Lindsay color up the scene 
into " a vision of delight," it was certainly a grateful relief to the eyes to look 
from the arid rocks and sands of the desert upon this little pond, with its grace- 
ful belt of palm-trees. But after riding for some time upon the edge of the 
desert, we turned again to a scene which was indeed refreshing, that rich and 
variegated plain which lay between the desolate scene we were leaving and the 
river. We crossed it at a different point from that we had before taken, and 
our path for a long distance was on the top of an embankment that serves the 
purpose of a road when the river is at its height and covers the surrounding 
plains. Leaving the embankment, we again turned into the fields and passed 
by the tents of some Bedouin Arabs, who had come from the desert for grass 
and pasture for their camels. One, whom we supposed to be the head of the 
family, was sitting at the door of his tent, and around him on the green in front 
were children playing, some domestics and cattle, and within the tent, one of 
the curtains of which was up, we could see persons, probably his wife or wives 
and other women, quietly seated at some handywork. The whole was a peace- 
ful scene, such as might have been often contemplated in the times of the patri- 
archs. The chief difference between the two probably was, that the dweller in 
tonts before us had one element of quiet luxury which the other did not 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BIBLE. — MILITARY STATION. 137 

possess, in the long pijae which he was smoking. On our way we met several 
flocks returning from pasture, and uniformly noticed that the sheep and goats 
were mingled together. We also passed by an extensive threshing-floor, on 
which were several oxen treading out the corn. I have mentioned these par- 
ticulars as having been combined together in our evening's ride, but hardly a 
day passes in which something is not presented to us that either illustrates or 
recalls modes of life with which the Bible has made us familiar. Again this 
evening, as in the morning, we have been constantly misled by distances from 
place to place seeming very much shorter than they really were. At last, how- 
ever, we arrived at Girgeh and our boat, after a very fatiguing though an 
interesting excursion. 

March 8tJi. — "We this morning reached Soohag, after rowing all night. 
Here again after sunrise the wind became so strong that we could not resist 
it, even with the help of the current, and were obliged to come to at the 
bank. At this place one of the reginaents of the Pasha's cavalry is stationed, 
and having found a young officer who spoke French, we entered into conversa- 
tion with him and found him quite an intelligent and agreeable person. He 
informed us that he had recently returned from the Polytechnic School at Paris, 
where he had been five years pursuing his military education. One of the sons 
of Mohammed Ali and one of Ibrahim Pasha being sent there for this purpose, 
a number of young men were sent as the companions of their studies, and of 
these our new acquaintance was one. He politely offered to show us the bar- 
racks, and introduce us to the colonel of the regiment. We accordingly went 
with him, and saw the barracks, which were built of the ordinary mud-brick, 
hardened in the sun and cemented with clay — a little better constructed, how- 
ever, than the houses of the village. The soldiers are nearly all married, and 
their wives and children follow them, and mud-huts are built for them in 
the neighborhood of the barracks. These surrounded a hollow square, in 
the middle of which was a water-tank, and though the whole establishment 
would be considered a miserable, apology for barracks in Europe or America, 
yet in the midst of a Fellah village, with its wretched huts and dirt, it presented, 
by contrast, a very respectable appearance. The colonel we found in his quar- 
18 



138 Ajsr -EcrypTiaN colonel commandant. 

ters, over one of the main entrances. When we were introduced to him he 
was seated on Turkish carpets upon his divan, encompassed by cushions and 
smoking his pipe. He received us very courteously, without moving, however, 
from his seat, as this is not customary, and ordered chairs to be brought for us. 
The iirst civility was to offer us the pipe he was smoking, and to direct others 
to be brought, as also coffee. We were obliged to converse with him through 
our young friend as interpreter, as he understood no European language. 
Indeed this officer was the only one in the regiment who knew any language 
but his own, and he informed us that the colonel could neither read nor write. 
He had the appearance, however, of a man of energy and decision, and was 
very probably a good executive officer. According to our informant's state- 
ment, science is but little encouraged in the army, and the possession of it com- 
mands but little respect from the majority of: the officers. On the contrary, 
they rather laugh at it as they do at the Erank dress and Frank manners. 
Having been informed that the colonel could neither read nor write, we were 
prepared for the want of information he manifested upon all questions relating 
to the state of Europe, and also for his want of curiosity upon these points. 
Although told that we were recently from there,, and were also the citizens of a 
land much farther off, the only questions he put to us were whether we had a 
king and whether the weather was cold with us.- Taking, leave of the colonel, 
we were conducted through the village and took a short:walkdnto the surround- 
ing coimtry, from whence we saw at a distance, on the borders of the desert, 
the White Monastery, as it is called, now a Coptic village ; but we were too 
much fatigued by our yesterday's excursion to go to it. After parting with 
our new acquaintance and returning to our boat, we shortly received a note 
from him in French, saying that if we were to remain any time he should be 
glad of the privilege of calling upon us again for the sake of our conversation, 
which had been a great source of pleasure to him. The wind still detaining us, 
we invited him to dine, and while with us he talked a good deal about his life 
in Paris, and the contrast he found in coming where there was not an indi- 
vidual Avith whom he could sympathize or hold any intercourse that could 
at all satisiy a cultivated mind. So far as his present life was concerned, bis 



ABOOTEEG.— CAEAVAJSSERAI. 139 

education seemed to be rattier a misfortune tlian an advantage, because it had 
made him acquainted with a state of society and with intellectual pleasures 
from which he was now totally cut oif. He had hopes, however, that should 
the young son of the Pasha, with whom he had been educated, and who was 
Ms friend, ever come into authority, his situation would be improved by being 
transferred perhaps to Cairo, where he could enjoy a higher state of society. 
The wind becoming favorable, we took a hasty farewell of our guest and the 
boat pushed off. 

March 9th. — ^After a favorable run all night and the greater part of the 
day we arrived at Abooteeg, when we came to for the purpose of resting the 
crew, who had been at the oar all night and most of the day. This village is 
beautifally situated at a short distance from the river, and is surrounded by an 
extensive and fertile plain. One portion of it struck us with admiration ; — a field 
of beautiful wheat in the ear, extending as far as the eye could reach, level as the 
sea, except the green waves which the wind made over its surface, just moving 
it sufficiently to give it life. There must have been a number of thousands of 
acres all in one body without a perceptible division. It was owned and culti- 
vated, as we were informed, by the fellahs of the village ; but as their separate 
portions were marked only by stones, no dividing line was visible. "Walking 
along the mound which overlooked this magnificent sea of waving corn, we 
came to the village, and learning that there was a Coptic convent there, we 
decided to make it a visit. Winding through several streets of houses, built as 
usual with unburnt mud brick, and all of the color of the soil, we passed a 
small bazaar, and then a caravanserai or place of accommodation for travellers, 
and the only kind of inn which can be found out of Cairo and Alexandria. It was 
a building in the form of a hollow square, of two stories, and around the upper 
one was an interior ■ gallery, which was reached by stairs, and served as a com- 
munication with the rooms above. These, like those below, were small square 
apartments with a single door and without windows. In a yard which led out 
of the inner court was accommodation for horses and mules. It was erected by 
merchants, and principally for the use of this class of persons, who, with the 
exception of the annual pilgrims, to Mecca, are almost the only travellers in this 



140 LIFE OF THE EGYPTIAN TEAVELLING MEBCHANT. 

country. The traveller arriving goes at once to this place, and takes one of 
these apartments, the key of which is given up to him, and it becomes his 
habitation and the place of deposit for his goods while he remains. His mat 
and carpet are his seat by day and his bed by night. These he always carries 
with him, together with his pipe, and this is all the furniture he needs. He 
gets his cup of coffee from a coffee-house near by ; and his mess of rice, Avith fowl 
or mutton, which he eats with his fingers. When he has made his purchases or 
sold his goods, as the case may be, he loads his donkeys or camels, rolls up his 
mat and carpet, pays a small sum for the accommodation he has had, and leaves 
the little room empty, as he found it, till the next traveller takes possession. 
In this caravanserai there must have been some thirty or forty rooms. The 
square space in the centre was covered with an awning to protect it from the 
sun, and was swept perfectly clean, and there was an abundant supply of water 
near. In our walk we visited a similar establishment, and while examining it 
we were asked if we wished to occupy one of the rooms, and we were at liberty 
to do so. To be obliged to resort to such an inn when travelling, would to us 
seem to be a very comfortless thing. But in this climate, always warm, and 
where the rain seldom falls, and then but for a very short time, and with the 
Arab habits of eating and drinking, this is all the accommodation the travelling 
merchant needs, or would use, even if more were offered to him. 



VISIT TO A COPTIC BISHOP. 

The convent to which we now directed our steps, proved to be a neat build- 
ing of burnt brick, on two sides of an inclosed court, which we entered by a 
small door. We found that the Coptic Bishop inhabited it, and that there were 
a number of other inmates, but whether they were monks or only priests we 
did not ascertain, as we found it difficult to make our communications and 
receive answers through our dragoman, who acted as interpreter. When we 
were announced the Bishop came into the court, which was surrounded by a 
sort of colonnade, to receive us. Chairs were placed for us, but ho seated him- 



PLAN OF A COPTIC CHURCH. 141 

self upon a mat cross-legged under one of the colonnades. Now came in quite 
a number of men, twenty or thirty at least, brought together I suppose by the 
news of our arrival. As they came in they each went up to the Bishop and 
kissed his hand, and then seated themselves on the ground in a line all around 
us. We asked a number of questions about the customs and rites of the Church, 
but owing to the difficulty of interpretation, we could not obtain very definite 
information. In the course of the interview, a drink of sugar and water was 
brought to us in glass mugs, and afterwards coffee. The Bishop invited us and 
urged us to dine with him, and to take accommodations at the convent as long 
as we needed them. We Avere obliged to decline, on account of the necessity 
of returning to our boat by sundown, when- the wind would abate and suffer us 
to proceed on our voyage. Wishing, however, to see the Church before we left, 
the Bishop sent a person to accompany us, as it was some little distance out of 
the village. But instead of one, we were followed by a whole troop of men 
and boys, whom curiosity had assembled about us, together with a number of 
beggars, amongst whom there was a large proportion of the blind. A walk of 
about a quarter of a mile beyond the houses, and upon a mound of rubbish 
which seemed to mark the site of a former town, brought us to what we were 
curious to see, a Coptic Church. Externally, there was nothing to be seen but 
a plain wall of mud-brick, with two or three small cupolas rising just above it. 
Passing through a low and narrow door and a small court-yard, we entered 
another low doorway and went through two small dark ante-rooms into the 
Church. This we found to be large enough to contain about four or five hun- 
dred persons, but of very ordinary structure and materials. It had, however, a 
central nave and side aisles, separated by two rows of round and short brick 
columns. Upon these, with pointed arches, were the walls of a sort of cleres- 
tory with small square windows. There were two transverse screens of open 
wood-work, which marked out the place for the males of the congregation, the 
first for boys and younger persons, the second for the more aged men. The 
women were in a separate apartment on one side, and entered by a side door, 
where men were not admitted. A third screen of close wood-work, and more 
ornamented, was the altar-screen. Beyond this last were three compartments, 



142 HOSPITALITY OF THE BISHOP. — SONG OF THE BOATMEN. 

covered by three small oven-shaped domes, pierced with round and square holes- 
to admit light. These compartments communicated with each other by side- 
doors, and in the centre of each was a stone erection, the middle one the altar, 
and the side ones for the priests to stand around when they assisted at the service. 
The Bishop's chair was in the central compartment, on one side. Outside of the 
altar-screen was a square desk on legs, from which the Scriptures were read to 
the people, who stand or sit on the matted floor. Upon and above the altar-, 
screen were hung several small wretched daubs of the Virgin and child. Saint 
George and the dragon, and some other saints. The whole church was dingy 
and dirty, and the smell was such as to give a poor opinion of the habits of 
cleanliness amongst this people even in their sacred things. We inquired for 
the font, and were pointed to a stone basin siink in the floor in the mid.dle of 
the first compartment after entering the door. Leaving the Church, we returned 
to the convent and had some little conversation with the Bishop, whose name 
we learned was Aboona Taseyos, Aboona being equivalent to the title of 
Bishop. He expressed his regret again that we could not stay and dine with 
him, and we shook hands and bade him farewell. He was a man of about forty- 
five years of age, of a pleasant expression of countenance, a^d mild and digni- 
fied manners. His complexion was dark as that of the Arabs, and his beard 
full and black. 

"We returned to our boat, accompanied by a number of men and boys, Cop- 
tic Christians, and found that the Bishop had sent by them a present of a sheep 
and a large basket of bread, in the form of round cakes, which proved to be of 
an excellent quality. "We sent back by the messengers an acknowledgment 
from our boat in return, and left Abootecg, well pleased with our visit. 

March lOih. — Our sailors having had some little rest yesterday, were 
all night toiling at the oar. I awoke several times and listened to its 
measured splash in the water, and to the songs of the boatmen. The}'' seem 
to have an infinite number, although the style is very similar. They relieve 
the labor by singing the greater part of the time while they are at work. The 
burden or chorus, in which they all join, seems to come in at the end of every 
line, and the solo part is taken up by one and another. They all sing, and 



DEGRADATION OF THE COPTIC CHEISTIANS. 143 

•indeed tte Arabs generally appear to be a musical people-. The songs of the 
sailors are often interrupted, especially when there is a hard pull, by a musical 
shout, AllaJi Hayle, which means Oocl help^ and is the substitute for the "yo-he- 
yo " of our sailors. 

This morning we reached Manfaloot, and seeing a boat with the English flag 
at the bank, we stopped for a short time to get news from Cairo. "We found on 
board the Eev. Mr. Kreuse, one of the missionaries from the Church Mission- 
ary Society to the Copts. He was on a missionary tour to distribute Bibles, 
Testaments, Psalters, and religious tracts to this people. He informed lis that 
they received them very gladly, but he feared that but little good had yet been 
effected amongst them by all the labors of the Society. He represented them 
as being in a very degraded state, ignorant and superstitious, and as to moral 
character, inferior to the Mohammedans around them. They adhere pertina- 
ciously to the Coptic language, although not even the jsriests understand more 
than a few words of it. Their litm-gy is always recited in it, and the Scriptures 
are read, but a translation of them in Arabic is at the same time read to the 
people. After visiting Mr. K. and learning from him the latest intelligence 
■from Europe, that all was quiet at Eome, which was a great relief to us, we 
•went on shore and walked through the bazaar, which consists of several narrow 
■ streets with shops on each side, and covered by an awning. Hearing that there 
was also a Coptic church, and that we might be in time for the service, which 
we were told was celebrated every day in Lent, we went to it, but either there 
Was no service or it was over. The church was similar to the one we saw yes- 
terday, but not so large, and much more filthy. We staid in it but a short time, 
yet when we got to our boat we found ourselves covered with fleas, which we 
had no doubt brought with us from the dirty matting with which the floor was 
covered. We had hoped to obtain the luxury of a bath at Manfaloot, but we 
found that the building had been carried away, with a considerable part of the 
town, by the encroachments of the river. The whole place seems destined to 
fall in this way, the bank being undermined and caving in piece after piece, 
and all efforts to ward off the destruction have been hitherto fruitless. Leaving 
Manfaloot, we continued our progress down stream, rowing all the time. We 



144 IISTTERVIEW WITH PILGRIMS. — THEIR MODE OF LIFE. 

had a fine view in passing of tlie precipitous cliffs of Gebel Aboofayda, at tlie 
foot of wliicli tlie river formerly ran, but it is now leaving this side and making 
encroachments on the opposite shore, from which cause Manfaloot is suffering so 
much. These cliffs, like many we have seen, are filled with grottos and tombs, 
the square openings of which are plainly visible. 

A little beyond this we brought the boat to the bank of the river for the 
purpose of giving the men a few hours' repose. After eating their dinner they 
jumped on shore, wrapped themselves in their large brown loose-gowns, and 
were soon asleep. A short distance from us, on the shore, we noticed four 
Mussulmen kneeling and bowing at their devotions towards Mecca. One was 
in front, having on a green turban, the sign of his being a descendant from the 
prophet ; the other three were in a row behind him. They were all of a lighter 
complexion than the Arabs. "We had some curiosity to converse with them, 
which we were enabled to do with the aid of our dragoman as interpreter. We 
learned that they were from Tangiers, and were returning home from a pilgrim- 
age to Mecca. They had come by the way of Malta to Alexandria, ascended 
the Nile to Keneh, and from thence crossed the desert to Cosseir, where they 
took a vessel for the opposite shore of the Red sea. They were now returning 
by the same route, and expected to be at home in about eight months from the 
time of their departure. The boat in which they were was filled with other 
pilgrims. We asked them if they did not find the journey tedious ; but they 
said not at all, in consequence of having society and conversation all the way, 
and stopping a day or two occasionally to go on shore, get provisions and recruit 
themselves. This sort of pilgrim life on the Nile may be very agreeable, asso- 
ciating the performance of a religious duty, which is to bring its own recom- 
pense, with an easy and idle hfe of travel without fatigue ; but to pilgrims who 
come from other quarters, when long and tedious journeys are required, it is 
a very different matter ; and of the thousands who go annually to Mecca the 
proportion of those whose lives fall a sacrifice to their superstition, we are 
informed, is very considerable. These pilgrims were all young men, and the 
descendant of the prophet a person of some rank, being distantly related to the 
Sultan. They joined their boat to go along leisurely to their home, and we 



A HERMIT.- — THE CHURCH SERVICE. 145 

ours, anxious to make the best of our way to perform our pilgrimage to Jerusa- 
lem and return at the earliest practicable time to our dear families at Eome. 
An old man with a white beard here presented himself on the bank of the 
river, holding up a blue flag, on which there was an inscription in Arabic. He 
seemed to be speaking very earnestly, but we could not hear what he said. 
We were informed, however, that he was a sort of hermit, living in or near a 
sheik's tomb which we saw at a short distance, to keep it in order, and that he 
gained his support by begging in this way from boats passing down the river. 
We could not stop, but we made a little parcel of copper money, and the boat 
nearing the bank we succeeded in throwing it on shore. The old man, when 
he got it, lifted up his hands and eyes, pronouncing, as we supposed, his bene- 
diction, and according to custom praying in our behalf for a prosperous 
voyage. 

March llih. — This morning, as usual, we retired to our cabin, and had the 
satisfaction of uniting in the appointed service of the Church. As the promise 
is that where two or three are gathered together in His name there is He in the 
midst of them, we trusted that the promise was now fulfilled in regard to the 
smallest of these numbers. We have found by experience, that if the service 
of our Church performed rubrically is eminently adapted to congregational 
worship, it is not less edifying or grateful to the devout mind when two only, 
who really love it, are constrained to unite in it, because they are far away from 
the assembled congregations of God's people. 



TOMBS OF BENI HASSAN. 

In the afternoon, approaching the grottos and tombs of Beni Hassan, so 
called from being near to the Arab villages of this name, we concluded to take 
our small boat and visit them, while the large boat would follow us down the 
stream. This part of the river, where the desert comes very near, is esteemed 
somewhat unsafe on account of robbers. Indeed, these villages, as I have 
before mentioned, were destroyed some thirty years since by Ibrahim Pasha, 
19 



146 APPROACH TO THE TOMBS. — THEIR ANTIQUITY. 

because tlie inhabitants could not be kept from depredations upon boats sailing 
up and down the river. Our rais felt some anxiety even now upon account of 
these reputed thieves, and sent with us fovir of the crew armed with clubs ; we 
also took the precaution to carry with us om- loaded guns. But when we 
landed we saw but one man near, who was engaged in the fields, and during 
our visit to the tombs not a human being approached our party. We saw 
plainly the ruined villages, which were considerably large, and so entirely were 
they deserted that we could not perceive the least movement around them. So far 
then as the safety of the neighborhood is concerned, the Pasha's policy seems 
to have been effectual. The range of rocks which bounds the eastern side of 
the valley of the Nile here rises abruptly from the river. Formerly the water 
ran at its very base, but by one of those changes so frequent here, the channel 
has now left it and ground is gradually forming, so that in the progress of some 
years the cliffs of Beni Hassan may be at the distance of two or three miles 
from the river. We in our small boat, however, were enabled to come close 
under them. A precipitous ascent over sand mingled with fragments of stone 
leads to the grottos. In one or two places we saw the remains of what must 
have been regular roads to the principal tombs. When the ascent was more 
gradual, there were parallel lines of round stones, which had evidently been 
placed there for this purpose. The rocks lie in nearly horizontal strata, some 
being of a calcareous character, and some sand-stone. The thickest stratum and 
that best adapted to the purpose was selected by the excavators of these re- 
markable tombs, which are said to contain the evidence of being the oldest yet 
discovered in Egypt. They are certainly remarkable and interesting in the 
highest degree, as giving an insight into the manners and employments of the 
ancient Egyptians. But the first thing which drew our attention and struck us 
with admiration, was the character of the entrance to two of the principal 
tombs. We had been accustomed to associate Doric columns with the Greeks, 
and to suppose that they were one of the inventions of these ingenious and 
cultivated people. But here we saw what at a short distance seemed to be the 
front of a small temple in the rock, consisting of the regular Doric columns 
with antes. Upon approaching them Ave found that in one instance the columns 



ORIGINAL ELEMENTS OF GRECIAN- ABCHITECTUBE. 



147 



were fluted. The entablature too, which they supported, had clearly the ele- 
ments of the division into triglj^ph and metope. Upon entering the doorway 
in the centre we were introduced into a chamber of eighteen paces, or about 
fifty feet square, cut out of the solid rock. The roof being divided into three 
compartments from front to rear by two deep square entablatures, was sustained 
by four columns of the same character as those outside. The three compart- 
ments in the roof were arched. 



,:t\*jfi I 




The neighboring tomb was similarly constructed, but the columns within 
had been taken away. It was obvious that the columns themselves had not 
been wrought out and then placed there, but were a part of the solid rock. In 
these two tombs the order of the architecture, if I may so speak, was different, 
one being more massive than the other, and the latter being of sixteen sides and 
fluted, except in one case in front, left flat probably for inscriptions, while the 
former had fewer sides and was not fluted. In another tomb we saw columns 
of a lighter construction and very beautiful, the idea of which was obviously 
derived from tying together the stalks of four lotus plants and leaving the buds 
for capitals. If the architecture was thus to our view beautiful in itself, and 
calculated to give us a high idea of the taste and knowledge of the ancient 



148 PAINTINGS ON THE WALLS OF THE TOMBS. 

Egyptians, and to lead to the conclusion tliat Grecian arcMtecture may here be 
traced to its original principles, the painting on the walls of these tombs was 
equally interesting, though far inferior as indicating a knowledge of art. There 
was the usual want of perspective and of graceful outline, of just relative 
proportion, and of shading, discoverable in all the Egyptian paintings we have 
seen. There was, however, a manifest difference in the execution. In one 
tomb there was a spirit given to the figures and an approach to accuracy in the 
delineation of objects, such as animals, fishes, and birds, which we did not per- 
ceive in the others. As, for example, fishes were represented in the water in 
different positions, swimming up and down, with a good deal of spirit and accu- 
racy. But it was not for the sake of drawing and coloring that we were here, 
but to follow out the traces of the employments and customs of a people who 
lived three thousand years ago, as manifested in contemporaneous delineations. 
And here before us was abundant opportunity for this investigation, and we 
only regretted our want of time to pursue it more fully. 

To give an accurate description of the walls of all the tombs we visited, 
would take up a large space, nor would it answer a very good purpose, as many 
of the parts are much impaired by time, and I am sorry to say in some instances 
by the carelessness or wantonness of visitors ; and were the whole susceptible 
of being made out, still to decipher the original intention must be in a great 
measure a conjectural employment. It seems indeed to be highly probable 
that the intention was to give some indication of the occupation of the principal 
person for whom the tomb was constructed, and perhaps of the amusements to 
which he was attached. As, for example, in one tomb great prominence was 
given to scenes of sporting. There was the chase of animals, and shooting 
them with the arrow, and also the use of the net in catching birds and fish. In 
one instance the net was being drawn over a tree in which were birds, and in 
another it was dragged by a number of persons through a coarse line of paint- 
ing intended to depict the river. In another tomb agricultural employments 
seemed to predominate. There was plowing with cattle, the driving of herds, 
storing the grain and other labors of the farmer. In one case there was obvi- 
ously the appearance of a person taking an account of di'oves of different 



CONJECTURES IN" RELATION TO JOSEPH IN EGYPT. 149 

animals wliicli were brouglit there in succession. He was standing up with a 
tablet in one hand and the stylus in the othei'. Behind him were several oxen 
driven oflf, the account of which had been taken. Before him was a man stop- 
ping the progress of a row of others till they could be registered, and beyond, 
in the same line, were other herds successively coming forward. This has been 
set down for the taking of an inventory of the property of the person deceased. 
But why may it not as well be an indication of his employment as the 
overseer of some great personage. All such opinions in regard to the private 
tombs both here and at Thebes, it seems to me must be conjectural. In one of 
the tombs we saw and examined particularly the representation of a procession 
of strangers, in regard to whom the idea has been suggested that it may refer 
to the arrival of Joseph's brethren in Egypt. Sir Gardner Wilkinson, I presume, 
first suggested the idea, and gives the views on both sides at considerable 
length. But he seemed to us to have omitted one argument against the theory, 
which would appear to be conclusive, and this is that there is no representation 
of the aged Patriarch and of the chariots which were sent by Pharaoh for the 
Patriarch's family. Now so important a circumstance as this would hardly 
have been passed by unnoticed. In short, the only reason for entertaining the 
idea for a moment seems to be that the tomb was made in the reign of Osirtasen, 
in whose times it is supposed that Joseph lived, and because the persons in this 
procession are represented with beards. There was one subject delineated 
which seemed to us to have a more natural reference to the days of Joseph, and 
this was a large collection of buildings into which laborers were obviously car- 
rying corn to store it away. The number was much larger than could in any 
probability have belonged to one person. Now we have at least as much right 
to suppose that this was an allusion to the great event of those days, the storing 
up corn for the years of famine, as that the procession on the opposite wall 
alluded to the coming of Joseph's brethren into Egypt. But if all such ques- 
tions are now and probably must ever remain in such doubt that the time 
employed in speculating upon them may be considered as lost, there are other 
questions not less interesting which are definitively settled. We can trace here 
the employments of the ancient Egyptians, and see that they are those of the 



150 MANNERS AND CUSTOMS DELINEATED. 

present day, and followed in muck tlie same manner. The plough is exactly that 
we have seen in common use. We have an intimation too of what their amuse- 
ments were, in the chase with bows and arrows, in catching birds and fishes in 
nets, in dancing and wrestling, and in one place, as it seemed probable, in the 
bull-fight. It was obvious also that some game like chess or draughts was 
known, for the men are playing at it. As to the wrestling, there seems to be 
quite a preponderance of this representation, for there are several lines of 
figures put into every possible attitude, and in order that these positions may be 
more distinct, the two figures are always in different colors. The persons 
depicted are of a brown color, but we observed one line of females, who were 
light-colored, and who appeared to be engaged in dancing, bending the body 
into difficult attitudes, and throwing up and catching three balls at a time. 
One of these, with the arms and one leg stretched out horizontally and standing 
upon the toe of the other, is either whirling round or else exhibiting one of the 
common feats of professional dancers of the present day. Now these were 
probably slaves, and perhaps from the same country as those men who are of 
the same color, and over whom the hieroglyphists say the word captive is writ- 
ten. There is one other resemblance to the customs of our own times, which 
we observed, and that is a culprit laid upon his face and receiving the basti- 
nado, and another kneeling down with a cord round his neck passing into the 
hands of several men, who seemed to be prepared to strangle him. A woman 
was also receiving blows, but in the case of the female the culprit was seated 
and the blows were laid over the shoulder, and not, as in the case of the man, 
upon the less honorable part. 

But to describe every particular found in these tombs would be an almost 
endless task, and after all it would be impossible by description to place them 
before the eye of the reader as they present themselves to the spectator. We 
have found by experience that no description we have read of the places we 
have visited, however well written, and however accurately drawn, where we 
are able to form a comparison between it and the reality, has served to place 
the scene before our eyes. In the instance of these tombs, how would it be 
practicable to describe line after line of figures, six or eight inches in height. 



DIFnCULTY OF DESCEIPTION. — CROCODILES. 151 

with whicli the walls all over, from top to bottom, are decorated, and which 
illustrate all the actions in life we have alluded to? Then besides this there are 
several figures larger than life in attitudes of action, and figures still larger 
seated, representing a god receiving oiferings, or communicating the emblem of 
immortal life to some one presented before him. If it is difficult to describe a 
picture, the subject of which is well known, and where the figures relating the 
story are but few, so that he who reads can form a just idea of it without some 
sketch or engraving to aid the description, how impossible is it to place before 
the mind's eye, in all its details, one of these decorated chambers, with its hun- 
dreds of representations of the human figure in every situation of work and of 
amusement, without the assistance of some outline. 



CONTINUANCE OF OUR VOYAGE. 

After passing several hours in examining these very curious remains of a 
remote age, probably the most ancient paintings in the world, we took our 
small boat and had some difference of opinion with our crew as to the best 
method of reaching the larger vessel. Our course, however, was adopted, 
although it proved in the result that theirs would have been the best. We 
have so often found their judgment to be erroneous, that we had no confidence 
in it in the present instance. We saw as many as four or five crocodiles tumble 
from the shore into the water upon our approach, In one case the animal was 
near enough for a shot. These are probably the last we shall see, as we are 
now fast leaving the part of the Nile which they inhabit. We had some diffi- 
culty in reaching our boat, as it had not followed us as rapidly as we antici- 
pated. At about eight o'clock, however, we got on board, to the relief of our 
rais, who had begun to have fears that we might have been attacked by the 
robbers about whom he had warned us in the morning. 

March 12th. — We have made tolerable progress, and in the course of the 
day passed Gebel et Tayr. On approaching these precipitous cliffs we observed 
several of the monks of the Coptic convent seated upon the ledges. When we 



152 DAEK AND BEIGHT SIDE OF MONKISH CHAEACTEE. 

got under them and were sailing along tlie base, two divested themselves of 
their clothes, scrambled down the rocks, which seemed to us almost perpendicu- 
lar, by holding upon projecting points and taking advantage of crevices, till 
they jumped into the water and swam off to us for alms. We gave them each 
something, but they were importunate for more, and we had to drive them away. 
A third now swam off, to whom we also gave a trifle, and our dragoman gave 
him an empty bottle, in which had been some of the spirit of the country 
which we had brought for the sailors when working hard at night. The monk, 
or whatever he was, I suppose, smelling this, began to make earnest motions 
for something to drink, and kept following the boat till one of the crew took a 
pole and struck at him, when he reluctantly left us. The Arab sailors, who 
are all Mahometans, hold these fellows in great contempt, and would strike 
them and drive them away if permitted. Their conduct on this occasion was 
certainly not calculated to produce a very high opinion of them ; but it is said 
they are very charitable in the monastery, and that no person, Jew, Mahometan, 
or Christian, can apply for food without being relieved by them, and that 
travellers of whatever creed are always hospitably entertained. This is cer- 
tainly a redeeming point in their character, and led us to hope that our dona- 
tions upon two occasions had not been entirely thrown away. 

March l?>ili. — This morning we were called from our cabin, where we were 
writing and reading, with the pleasing intelligence that a boat with the Ameri- 
can flag hoisted was in sight. "We hailed her to lay to, and jumped into our 
small boat to board her, and had the satisfaction of finding two of our country- 
men, Mr. Henry Chauncey, of New- York, and Mr. Leveret Saltonstall, of 
Salem. Being very anxious to get the latest intelligence from Europe, we con- 
sidered ourselves quite fortunate in meeting with gentlemen who had left Cairo 
only forty-eight hours before. We were rejoiced to hear that France was as 
quiet as before, and especially that Rome was still tranquil. We had the intel- 
ligence of the revolution in Florence and the flight of the Grand Duke, and 
the threatened intervention of Austria. But the point in regard to which we 
were most anxious was the tranquillity of Rome. We shall, however, we trust, 
in a day or two get authentic intelligence through letters from our dear families. 



OUR R.US. — GIVIKG A NAME. 153 

After lialf an hour's agreeable conversation witli our countrymen, wo took to 
our small boat to follow the large one, which had been pursuing her way down 
the stream. We had a long row of nearly three hours in the hot sun before 
we succeeded in overtaking our boat, which did not lay to for us. We were 
very much put out with our rais for thus obliging us to remain so long in a 
small open boat on the river in a broiling sun, and forcing two men to undci'go 
the severe labor of rowing after him, when by laying to for half an hour he 
might have saved us all this trouble. Supposing that there was some inten- 
tional malice in this, we severely reprimanded him. Our dragoman, who had 
been Avith us in the boat, told him that if it had not been for us he would have 
complained of him to some authority on shore and had him flogged, Avhich he 
could have done. He said in reply that he knew how anxious we were to get 
along, and was afraid to stop for fear we should be angry with him. This was 
either an evasion or great stupidity, as the detention, at most, would have been 
half an hour, and that too on our own account. The conclusion to which we 
came was, that he had purposely put us to this discomfort, as his temper is 
occasionally bad, and is often, as we were now informed, exhibited in violent 
language to his men, and to-day he had been somewhat sulky. We regret this 
circumstance at the close of our voyage, as we had entertained, upon the whole, 
a very good opinion of this man from his pleasing manners. But it is hard to 
fathom the real character of an Arab. 

As we were sailing along this afternoon we had a singular example of the 
superstition of this people. We noticed two persons on shore calhng to our 
boat, and our dragoman hallooed out in reply, " Ibrahim." We asked him if 
he knew the persons, and if the name of one of them was Ibrahim. He said 
no, but that he had given that as the name of the child in compliance with 
their request. On our asking an explanation, he gave us the following state- 
ment : The people in the villages along this part of the river have the supersti- 
tious impression that when a woman is about to be confined with a child, if 
they can get a name given to it in this way from the rais of some passing boat 
it will insure a safe deliverance and the life of the child, and the name thus 
obtained is always conferred on the child. In the present instance our boat 
20 



154 A LIFE-CHARM. — CLIMATE OF THE THEBAID. 

was liailed because there were obviously persons of some consideration on 
board. The man called out, addressing us very respectfully, " Please to give a 
name to my daughter's child." When he received the name he returned his 
thanks and Avent away. So the child, if a boy, will be named Ibrahim. " But 
what," we said, " if it should prove to be a girl ? " " Oh they don't care about 
that, if it is a girl no matter what her name is." There is here far more value 
attached to the birth of a boy than of a girl. In connection with this, our 
dragoman told us of another superstition that exists in Cairo. AVhen a woman 
of the higher ranks has been unfortunate in losing her children, she will take 
or send her next born infant, when it is old enough, into the streets or the 
bazaar, and beg from passers by a few paras for the child, as if it were poor. 
"Please give this child five paras," (a small copper coin of the value of less 
than half a cent.) With the money thus obtained a silver ring or some such 
ornament is bought and put upon the child, whose life is supposed to be thereby 
protected. 

March IMi. — This morning we found the sky overcast with clouds, for the 
first time since the commencement of our voyage up the Nile. We perceive a 
manifest difference between the climate of the Thebaid and that' in the neigh- 
borhood of Cairo. While we were at Thebes the temperature of the air was 
most delicious ; warm, yet not debilitating. The atmosphere was clear during 
the day, the sun always shining brightly and setting in golden splendor. The 
full moon at night was like a globe of silver resting upon a mantle of the deepest 
blue, and before her rising the heavens were like a purple mantle studded all 
over with diamonds. The sun, moon, and stars, with us in America, always 
seemed to me to look through a far more transparent medium than in England, 
or even France, but in Thebes they seemed more clearly defined and more 
brilliant than even with us. There was also an elasticity and balminess in the 
air which made it a pleasure only to breathe it, and we thought the high praises 
bestowed upon it were by no means exaggerated. With the ancients, the 
Thebaid was a favorite resort for invalids, and the Turks, we understand, enter- 
tain the same opinion of its salubrious qualities ; and as far as our experience 
goes, there could be no better resort for persons in feeble health, for they might 



EETUEN TO THE PYEAMIDS AND CAIRO. 155 

take exercise at all times, and would not, perhaps, be confined within doors a 
day during the whole winter, and moreover, would not be exposed to those 
sudden changes of temperature which are so prevalent in other places we have 
visited. Even Cairo, far south as it is, was as uncomfortable on this account 
during oux sojourn there as America. I do not think I ever experienced 
more unpleasant sensations than there, from a cold and biting wind. We hope, 
however, that now upon ovir return, at this later season, it will be more genial. 
This morning we were greeted again by the sight of the false pyramid, as it is 
called, which showed us that the greater part of our voyage down the Nile had 
been accomplished. Soon the pyramids of Dashour rose to view, and seemed 
to accompany us, as it were, for a long distance, and to be unwilling to leave 
us. "We would seem to pass them, but a turn in the river would bring them 
again almost in front of us, and they continued thus changing their bearing 
during the whole afternoon. "While they were yet in full view, the pyramids 
of Aboosier and Sakkara joined their company, and ere long, in the far distance, 
we saw those of Ghizeh. At a turn in the river the citadel of Cairo, crowned 
with its mosque and lofty minarets, came forth to hail us, and we greeted this 
well-known object as an old friend. It was loath to let us go when we began 
our voyage, for the head winds kept us in sight of it for two whole days, but 
now it comes on rapidly to meet us, and we trust with cheering letters in hand 
from our beloved families in Rome. 

Finding that we should make a great saving of time if we visited the Pyra- 
mids of Sakkara, the site of Memphis, and fulfil our intention of going once 
more to the Pyramids of Ghizeh, by doing all this before returning to Cairo, 
we came to at the bank of the river near a village and sent a messenger to the 
city to bring our letters to us. 

MEMPHIS AND THE PYRAMIDS. 

March 15th. — This morning .we were up betimes, and as the sun rose our 
messenger returned, and, to our great joy and comfort, brought letters for us 
from Rome. They contained most favorable intelligence for us from our dear 



156 SITE OF MEMPHIS. 

families there, and mine also brought most clieering news from my dear 
children in New- York. These letters, which we read over and over, even 
before we had patience to dress ourselves, put us into most excellent spirits, as 
well as filled our hearts with gratitude to the Giver of every good gift. We 
now felt prepared to go with light hearts on our excursion. For this, donkeys 
had been brought to us from Cairo. I had the same animal, and the cheerful, 
active little boy that had attended me before in my expeditions about the city. 
We soon finished our breakfast, and preparing a luncheon, as we proposed to 
take the whole day for our excursion, we directed our boat to drop down the 
river and wait for us at Ghizeh, and mounted our little serviceable beasts, 
which we at once perceived to be of a better description than any we had met 
with in Upper Egypt. After a short ride through the pleasant fields and 
amongst the groves of palms, which in places were quite extensive, we came to 
the site of Memphis. Of this once magnificent and populous city, nothing is 
now left to mark the place where it stood, but mounds of rubbish and a very 
few fragments. One of these, however, is very remarkable and full of interest, 
a colossal statue, which, when perfect, it has been estimated, must have been 
forty -two feet in height. It is now broken at the feet, and lies prostrate on its 
face. The earth has been excavated around it, and it seems as if it had fallen 
into a deep pit. By descending, however, the profile of the face can be 
distinctly seen, and its expression is certainly very beautiful. The nose is 
curved somewhat, but would hardly be called aquiline, the lips very distinctly 
marked, and the whole countenan-ce speaks a benign temper, combined with 
dignity. Another broken statue, much smaller, of red granite, is near to it, 
but miich covered up with soil. An inscription in hieroglyphics, however, is 
visible, which is said to designate it to be a statue of Eameses the Great. In 
another spot we found a broken column, with a capital having four focos, like 
those we had seen at Dendera. These scanty remains were situated in a beau- 
tiful grove of date-palms, with intervening spaces of greensward, the whole 
forming a fine specimen of eastern park scenery, if we may apply this modern 
designation to grounds which have never been laid out with a view to pictu- 
resque effect. Leaving this place, once so famous, and which is now only a 



TOMBS AKD CAT-PITS AT SAKKARA. 157 

small Arab village, called Mitrahenny, we rode for son:ie two hours througli 
cultivated fields, witli tlie Pyramids of Sakkara in full view before us. They 
are situated upon rocky and sandy hills, a part of the same range as those of 
Ghizeh, and which mark the boundary between the cultivated land of the 
valley of the Nile and the desert. On the side of one of these hills, where the 
rock is free from sand, are several tombs, one of which is very remarkable, and 
we explored it thoroughly. It is cut out of the solid rock, and the passage to 
it, as well as the chambers of which it is composed, are regularly faced with 
blocks of limestone. The roof of the passage and chambers is in the form of a 
finely-tunnelled arch, and the blocks of stone are covered with hieroglyphics 
and sculptured figures, which were once painted with the usual brilliant colors, 
blue, red, and yellow. This tomb, though not large, indeed quite small com- 
pared with those we had seen at Thebes, Avas yet, as to its woi'kmanship, as 
well executed as any we had seen. The whole had obviously been dug out of 
the solid rock, and then, to make the side- walls and the arches perfectly smooth, 
for the reception of the sculpture, blocks of limestone had been nicely fitted 
together to make the surface appear as if the rock itself had been wrought by 
great labor into this form. Quitting this tomb, we next examined the pyramids, . 
all of which are in a ruined state, the exterior covering having been long ago 
removed from them. The largest pyramid is in the most perfect state of preser- 
vation, although this also is entirely stripjDcd of its exterior covering, so that 
the blocks of stone, rudely squared, of which it was built, stand out naked and 
irregular. There are in the neighborhood many cat and ibis mummy-pits, in 
addition to the human ones, but we only visited one of the cat-pits. Descend- 
ing into an opening in the sand, like a small pit dug out, we came to a low 
arch, and through this we had to crawl on our hands and knees, and sometimes 
to pull ourselves along by our hands alone, as we lay flat down, for there was 
not height sufficient for us to rise on our knees. After descending gradually in 
this manner for some distance, we came to heaps of broken vases of rough 
earthenware of a red color, which had formerly contained cat-mummies, and 
which had been broken by previous visitors. Through this mass of broken 
pottery it was difficult to force our way, and would have been dangerous had 



158 MUMMIFIED CATS. 

not the composition been comparatively soft. Persevering, however, we soon, 
by the dim light of the candles which our attendants carried, were enabled to 
see where the mummy-pots had been as yet undisturbed. They were piled one 
upon another, in regular layers, but how far or how deep they extended we 
could not tell, for the excavated rock was iilled with them to the very top. 
Undoubtedly they had been laid in regular rows, filling tip the space as new 
accessions were brought by the deluded people who thus testified their idolatrous 
respect for a brute animal. These pots are in the shape of those in which loaf- 
sugar is made, only smaller. Upon the larger end a covering like a stopper 
had been cemented. They break very easily, but generally speaking the mum- 
mies are reduced to a black powder, and the linen envelopes are completely 
rotten. One or two, however, we found less injured by the damp, and could 
see that the animal had been swathed in a bandage from the hind feet, which 
were stretched out towards the tail, to the head, so that the whole body could 
be compressed into as small a compass as possible in circumference, although its 
length was entire. After gratifying our curiosity at the expense of a good deal 
of fatigue, and being covered with dust, we made our escape from this curious 
.but disgusting place, glad to regain the light and the pure air. All around us 
were numerous other mummy-pits, which had been emptied of their contents. 
Near one of them were strewed ox-bones, large heaps of the more perfect being- 
piled up to be carried off, probably, and burnt into animal charcoal for the 
sugar refineries of Ibrahim Pasha. 

About two miles north from the Pyramids of Sakkara are those of Aboosier, 
but having a sufficiently distinct view of them as we passed by, and being anx- 
ious to spend the remainder of our day at the more perfect and interesting ones 
at Ghizeh, we did not turn aside for them. A ride of two hours along the edge 
of the cultivated land, brought us once more to the three noble pyramids of 
Ghizeh. In this ride we passed two encampments of Beddowees, who were here 
for pasturage for their camels and sheep. They thus go from place to place, 
having no fixed habitation, and when pasturage fails them in one spot they 
seek another. But what they call pasturage, would seem to us very scanty fare 
for any animal. It consists merely of tufts of coarse grass, and small shrubs, 



SYMMETRY OF THE GREAT PYRAMID. 159 

witli wliicli the sandy desert is in places dotted over ; but camels, and even 
sheep and goats, find browsing in such barren spots as our gTazing animals 
would starve upon. We had kept our eyes upon the pyramids, and especially 
the larger one, every feature of which was familiar to us, from the thorough 
examination we had made of it at our previous visit. We did not again ascend 
it nor go into the interior, but we gazed and contemplated, and again and again 
were in admiration of its majesty and fine proportions. I am not acquainted 
sufficiently with this description of building to say wherein it differs from the 
other pyramids I have seen, except in size. But there must be something in 
its proportions, as the inclination of the sides to the base, or in the form of the 
triangular side itself, which gives to this pyramid an effect which the one close 
to it, and very nearly as large, does not possess, and which makes it perfectly 
unique, and worthy to be-a wonder of the world to many future ages, as it has 
been for unknown ages past. The small Pyramid of Mycerinus we entered, and 
Mr. M. ascended its top, from which there is a fine view of all the pyramids of 
Sakkara, Aboosier, and Dashour. 

We spent some time, while we rested, in examining the accounts we had of 
the number of the Pyramids along the Nile, their dimensions and internal struc- 
ture, as far as ascertained ; but -as this kind of information might prove to be 
a dry detail, and destitute of general interest, I shall place it in an appendix. 

Our parting visit was made to the Sphinx, and the pleasing, calm, 
though mutilated face, upon which countless thousands have gazed when 
it was yet perfect, in adoration, and other thousands in more recent ages 
with mingled admiration and curiosity, kept us for a while in the same state 
of feeling, as the sun sank behind the great Pyramid. We then turned 
unwillingly from these magnificent works of ages more remote than human 
records ascend to, and riding in the cool of the evening over the green and 
fertile plain, from which the copious dew was causing a sweet fragrance to 
rise up, we reached our boat at Ghizeh some time after nightfall. Our day had 
been a long one, fatiguing but full of interest, not untinged -^ith sadness at the 
thought that we had now bid farewell, in all human probability for ever, to the 
only remaining works of the earliest civilization of our race. 



160 FAHEWELL TO OUR BOAT. 

March IGih.- — This morning we found ourselves once more at Boulak, tlie 
port of Cairo on tlie Nile, our boat having dropjoed down from Gliizeh during 
the night. "We made our preparations to leave it, packing up our clothes, 
books, &c. It had been our pleasant home for a month within two days. It 
had performed its office under the direction and by the labors of its faithful 
and active crew entirely to our satisfaction, and borne us safely to many a 
beautiful scene as its course followed the channel of the majestic stream to 
which it belonged, and to places renowned in the world's history, and which 
had realized all the highest anticipations of pleasure in seeing them we had 
formed when we first embarked. Our voj^age up to Thebes and back again, 
with sufficient time to see all the prominent objects of curiosit}^, had been made 
in less time than many others had required for the passage to Thebes alone. 
We therefore realized something of that affection which a sailor entertains for 
the ship in which he has made prosperous voyages, as if it were a living thing, 
and could know and respond to him. Our donkeys were ready on the bank, 
and we set off for the city, followed by our attendants, calling out, as we got 
into the throng which always fills the main road from Boulak to Cairo, the well- 
known sounds which we had not heard for many days, "Eiglak, Shimmalak," 
" Take care of your legs — turn to the left," repeated over and over. Having 
been dissatisfied with the neglect and discomfort of the Oriental Hotel, we now 
went to Shepherd's British Hotel, which we found to be in all respects more 
comfortable, and where we received every attention we required. Having 
made our arrangements here, we determined to make the most of our time in 
seeing some of those objects of curiosity which we had been obliged to post- 
pone when we were here before. 



THE DERVISHES OP CAIRO. 

Friday being the day on which there was to be the weekly performance 
of dervishes, we went to the college at Old Cairo. There are, I believe, 
several establishments of these fanatics in the city, but this is tlic only 



INTERYIEW WITH SHEIKS. 161 

one we visited. A pleasant ride tlirougla extensive gardens, which belong- 
to the estate of Ibrahim Pasha, brought us to the place. There is nothing 
in its exterior worthy of notice; but it is pleasantly situated on the bank 
of the river opposite to the island of Rhoda. Passing through a gateway, we 
came to an open court, in the centre of which was a raised square platform 
covered with matting, and on one side an elevated seat or divan where the der- 
vishes and Sheiks of Mosques who come to the ceremonies, drink coffee and 
smoke their pipes. "We were introduced into a small room near by and more 
retired, with a large projecting latticed window overlooking the river. Pound 
three sides of the room was a divan with pillows, on whicli we took our seats, 
when one by one came some aged men with venerable white beards, who we 
were told were sheiks of different mosques in the citj'-, about to take part in the 
service. The head of the college was a much younger man, whom they 
saluted respectfully as they entered. Pipes and coffee were now brought, and 
they all seemed to engage in a cheerful dialogue, often laughing in the midst 
of it. Our conversation with them was of course but limited, as our interpre- 
ter spoke English very imperfectly ; but they all treated us with great civility, 
offering us their pipes, after passing the palm of the hand over the amber 
mouth-piece, with a courteous bow. We could not but accept the proffered 
token of friendly intercourse, and after a few whiffs returned them in the same 
fashion. 

When the hour for service arrived, they rose and left us, with an intimation 
that after a little while we might follow them into the Mosque. The ceremo- 
nies had commenced just before we entered. The Mosque was a circular build- 
ing, not very large, lighted from the dome, and quite simple in its architecture. 
Putting our shoes from off our feet at the door, we walked over the straw mat- 
ting to seats on one side, which had been provided for us. In front of the 
niche, or small recess, which is an essential part of all mosques, and answers to 
our chancel, and which is always so placed that the worshipper turning to it 
looks towards Mecca, the principal dervish, whom we had not seen before, was 
seated upon the floor Tarkish fashion, and in a circle round him were our new 
acquaintances, with a number of other persons. Amongst them we were sur- 
21 



162 SINGULAR SERVICES. 

prised to see two soldiers in tlie full uniform of the Pasha's troops, and who 
seemed to be as active and zealous as any of the rest. They were all engaged 
alike, bending the body to the right and left with a quick motion, as if bowing 
to each other, and repeating in a sort of chorus, over and over, the same words. 
" La ilaha ill- Allah." — There is no deity but God. This continued for some 
time, when, by a sort of common impulse, they sprang upon their feet, making 
the same motions, only bending more and with greater violence. Now the 
chorus changed to the simple utterance of the word "Allah," or God — the 
accent thrown strongly on the last syllable, and forced, as it were, from the 
lowest part of the chest, with a deep guttural sound very like a grunt. Their 
motions and enunciation became quicker and quicker, their whole expression 
was in the highest degree excited, and the sweat rolled from their faces. At 
last one venerable man, who had been particularly attentive to us, and had in 
conversation a very joyous expression, got into the centre of the circle, turning 
round to every part of it, jumping, bending his body forward and backward 
with great violence and rapidity, and grunting out "Allah," till it seemed as if 
he must drop down under the violent exertion. At intervals there was a 
monotonous chant, accompanied by a sort of flute, a double-reeded pipe, and a 
tambourine, from a choir of some half-dozen who were seated a short distance 
from the circle. This continued for nearly an hour, when the voices of the 
devotees became hoarse and faint and their bodies apparently exhausted, and at 
last, to our relief, an end was put to the ceremony, whether by signal from the 
chief or by common consent, we could not ascertain. We were told that after 
taking coffee and resting awhile the same ceremonies would be repeated. But 
we had seen enough, and went away. This performance is called the " Zikr," 
and by long training the dervishes, and often other devotees, as in the case of 
the soldiers we saw, are enabled to keep up this violent exercise, without inter- 
mission, for a space of time that would seem to be beyond human endurance. 
In many instances the training begins very early, for we saw among the devo- 
tees a little boy, the son of the principal sheik, only about twelve j'^ears of age, 
taking his part ; but we noticed that he very often stopped and rested, and did 
not seem at all excited as the others were. 



TRICKS OF DERVISHES. 163 

Dervishes in Egypt are as numerous as Monks in Italy, and like them are 
divided into communities or orders. These orders are distinguished by caps 
and turbans of different shapes and colors, and by the flags which they carry in 
processions. Some of them employ themselves in different trades for a living, 
but very many devote themselves exclusively to religious exercises, such as 
recitiDg the Koran, and chanting at funerals and other solemnities. Certain of 
the orders are celebrated for tricks of juggling and for extraordinary feats, such 
as piercing the body with sharp instruments without expressing any pain, 
breaking masses of stone on their naked breasts, eating live coals, glass, and 
even metals, taking up serpents and eating them alive. Some of these feats we 
saw, but we were told of one that seemed almost incredible. "A dervish of the 
order of the Rifa'ees would take a hollow piece of the trunk of a palm-tree, fill 
it with rags soaked with oil and tar, then set fire to these contents, and carry the 
burning mass under liis arm in a religious procession, wearing only drawers ; 
the flames curling over his bare chest, back, and head, and apparently doing 
him no injury." Now this may not seem impossible to those who recollect the 
feats performed here some years since by the " Fire King," as he was called. 
The method by which the body can thus be rendered insensible to flame, might 
be converted to some good use, could it be revealed, and one would suppose 
that the trick might be discovered, or else the secret purchased for a considera- 
tion. Were the exhibition made here, I fancy some of our ingenious country- 
men would soon find out the mystery. All these feats are considered as proofs 
of superior sanctity, and those who practise them are much respected, especially 
by the lower orders, and find no difficulty in obtaining a sufficient support from 
their alms. 

THE HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL SCHOOL. 

From the College of Dervishes we went to the Hospital and Medical School, 
as we were desirous of seeing how such institutions were managed amongst 
a people who in so many respects can be regarded as only half-civilized. We 
were much gratified with what we saw, and were glad to accord to Mehemet 



164 A FRENCH MUSSULMAN. — THE HOSPITAL. 

Ali a higli degree of praise for his liberal endowment of these establishments. 
While he was in aiithority they were carried on with vigor, and were in a 
flourishing condition. Serious apprehensions, however, are entertained that his 
bigoted and almost brutal successor, Abbas Pasha, will neglect them and with- 
draw his patronage at least from the Medical School. Some of those who con- 
ducted us through the various departments, spoke in a desponding tone of their 
future prospects. For what has been accomplished for these institutions, and 
for the general progress of medical science, the country is greatly indebted to 
Clot-Bey, a French surgeon, who was placed by Mehemet Ali in the office of 
Inspector-general of the civil and military medical service of Egypt. "What his 
French name was, I have not been informed, but he is known by his Mussul- 
man designation. It is painful to reflect, that even with so worthy an object in 
view, he could have consented to renounce the faith in which he was born and 
probably baptized. But it is to be feared that, like others of his countrymen, 
who have thus entered the service of the Pasha, he had no sincere religious 
belief to give up, and none to profess. In his particular department of science 
he is said to be eminent, and has published in French two volumes, replete with 
information, entitled Aper§u G^n^ral sur L'Egypte. 

The hospital and school occupy a very beautiful site upon the eastern bank 
of the Nile, between Old Cairo and the port of Boulak. They are very exten- 
sive, and are surrounded with gardens and noble plantations of trees. The 
wards of the hospital were well arranged, and the whole police apparently well 
conducted. The school of medicine was respectably well supplied with ana- 
tomical preparations. These are particularly necessary for the instruction of 
students in a country where the prejudices are much stronger than amongst 
us against the mutilation of the human body. Actual dissections, we were 
informed, were quite uncommon, and could only be conducted Avith the greatest 
secrecy. The number of professors was seven, and the course of instruction 
thus arranged : 1. The elements of physical science, of chemistry and botany. 
2d. General anatomy, descriptive and pathological. 3d. Surgical pathology 
and clinique, with operations. 4th. Medical pathology and clinique. 5th. Ma- 



AEAB STUDENTS. — THE OLD PASHA. 165 

teria medica and therapeutics. 6th. Hygiene and medical jurisprudence. 7th. 
Pharmacy. 

Of the Arabs as medical students, Clot-Bey, in the -work above mentioned, 
says : " They are endowed with good capacities and a happy memory, but much 
carried away by the marvellous, and singularly addicted to their early preju- 
dices. It is difficult to make them abandon the theories and the astronomical 
and medical systems of the ancients. Their admiration for Aristotle is great. 
They are susceptible of emulation, full of enthusiasm, and possess great thirst 
for distinction. At the examinations the pupils are accustomed to make extra- 
ordinary exertions to excel. One day a young Arab, anxious to obtain the 
rank of surgeon's mate, for which he was examined before the professors and 
the public, and not succeeding to his wishes, burst out into the passionate 
exclamation, ' Death is preferable to this disgrace ! ' Those, on the other 
hand, who succeed, manifest an extravagant joy, and are embraced and compli- 
mented by their parents and friends, and their success celebrated by festive 
entertainments." 

On our return, as we came near the open space of the Ubekeeh, a carriage 
and four approached us, with two footmen running before, loudly cracking their 
whips to clear the way. Being told that it was the old Pasha, Mehemet Ali, 
we turned our donkeys on one side and stopped to have a sight of this remark- 
able man. He was leaning back in the corner of his carriage, and we could 
see little more of him than his turbaned head and large white beard. His eye 
was sprightly enough for so old a man, but had none of the intensity of gaze 
for which it was so famous in his middle age. We took off our hats, and he 
returned our salute courteously with a motion of his hand. He is said to have 
lost his mind almost entirely, and sees very few persons, except as he passes 
through the city, taking his daily ride from his palace at Shoobra to that in the 
citadel. His feeble appearance and great age were sure indications of approach- 
ing death, which took place not many months after we saw him. We were 
gratified at seeing, though but for a moment, a man who rose from a very hum- 
ble condition to so high a station, and whose bold and energetic policy all but 



166 LIFE AND CHARACTER OF MEHEMET ALL 

wrested Egypt and Syria from the Sultan, and whose name and deeds will fill 
no inconsiderable space in the world's history. To a traveller of distinction, 
who was introduced to him in the year 1832, when he was in the height of his 
power, he said : " I am not indifferent about the judgment which the world 
may form of me ; and of this I will give you a convincing proof. For a long 
time I have been engaged in composing the history of my own life. During 
every moment which I can snatch from public business, from the affairs of my 
people, I am attended by a secretary, whose sole employment it is to write 
down what I dictate, in my own words ; and to obviate the objections which 
might be urged against a history of so long a period, composed from recollec- 
tion, I may remark, that nature has endowed me with a very strong memory. 
I can describe, as if they occurred yesterday, events which took place forty 
years ago. In consequence, my biography will be very full. It will contain 
the history of my youth, before my arrival in Egypt. I shall describe the state 
of this country when I came into it ; and all the events, of any importance, 
which happened during my military expeditions in Nubia, Sennaar, Kordofan, 
the Hejaz, and Syria." Such an autobiography, if it is yet in existence, will 
be of vast interest ; for few lives, perhaps none of men who have lived in the 
present century, except that of Napoleon, have been so eventful. He was a 
despot, it is true, and ruthless in shedding blood, as witness his wholesale 
slaughter of the Mamelukes ; but he had enlarged views for Egypt, and his 
great purpose doubtless was to raise the people over whom he was placed, from 
their state of moral and political degradation, and introduce amongst them the 
advantages of European bivilization. Many beneficial changes he effected, but 
in other attempts, as, for example, the introduction of commerce, manufactures, 
and improved agriculture, he failed in consequence of the selfish policy of 
making these undertakings subservient to the enriching of' himself and his 
family. Though unquestionably a man of genius, and well skilled in the know- 
ledge of human nature, he was but little versed in the sciences which are essen- 
tial to the formation of a successful statesman. Of the received pi'inciples of 
political economy he must have been profoundly ignorant. Yet he was always 
ready to inquire, and one of the bright parts of his administration was, di-aw- 



HIS POLICY AND TYRANNY. 167 

ing around him intelligent men from Europe, and in many instances following 
their suggestions. To him, in a great measure, is owing the change that has 
taken jDlace in the treatment of foreigners. Before his interposition, a Frank 
was hardly safe from insult, and perhaps injury. The bigoted Turk would 
crush him to the wall or kick him with his sharp iron stirrup in the streets of 
Cairo, and in the country the brutal Fellah would pelt him with stones and 
mud, and if the chance offered, would rob him. And their only safety from 
these discomforts and dangers was in assuming the Turkish garb and letting their 
beards grow. Now all this is changed. The Frank in his own dress rides or 
walks through Cairo, and in all the large towns of Egypt, as unmolested and as 
unnoticed as he would do in the streets -of London or Paris, and he is every 
where treated with the utmost civility by the Fellah peasant. This is Mehemet 
All's liberal policy. Had he been such a man as his grandson Abbas, the 
present Pasha, it is to be feared that such changes would have been made much 
more slowly, if at all. But as to the condition of the masses of the people — 
this, from what we could learn, has been rendered worse rather than better. 
They are ground down by heavy taxation ; their personal rights are totally dis- 
regarded ; they are seized at the will of the Pasha and his favorites, and made 
to cultivate their grounds, to tend their cotton mills and sugar factories, or to 
become soldiers or sailors. The impression made upon us from what we saw 
during our short sojourn was, that few countries can have been worse governed. 
Egypt has been the land of bondage for ages past, and the yoke of despotism 
still presses heavily upon her unhappy people. Had Mehemet Ali been an 
enlightened and benevolent ruler, it would have been different, but our convic- 
tion is that he was an ambitious, avaricious, and selfish despot. Some know- 
ledge of the personal appearance and the habits of so celebrated a man, is 
always interesting, and therefore I insert the following account, from one who 
had a favorable opportunity for obtaining accurate information. 

" Mehemet Ali is a man of middling stature, robust and stout in his 
make, exceedingly upright, and, for a man of sixty -five, hale and active. His 
features, possessing more of the Tartar cast than is usual among European 
Turks, are plain, if not coarse ; but they are lighted up with so much intelli- 



168 HIS PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HABITS. 

gence, and Ms dark gray eyes beam so brigbtly, that I should not be surprised 
if I found that persons familiar with his countenance thought him handsome. 
He sleeps but little, and rises at or before daj^break ; and very shortly after 
leaves liis harem on horseback, and repairs to his divan for the dispatch of 
business. There he receives all memorials, petitions, dispatches, &c. Shortly 
after his arrival the secretaries walk in with large bundles of letters, received 
since the day before, the contents of which are read to him. He then com- 
mands, and sketches out, viva voce, in a rapid manner, the necessary replies. 
This sort of business usually occupies him till about nine o'clock ; at which 
hour all those consuls, and other persons who desire a public audience, arrive. 
In an hour or two these individuals take their leave ; upon which he returns to 
his harem, where he remains till about three or half past three in the afternoon. 
Even here however he is still employed, and if any letter or note arrive, 
whether by day or night, he is to be immediately awakened from sleep. At 
half past three o'clock he again returns to the divan, where the same round of 
business takes place as in the morning. About an hour after sunset he takes a 
slight re]3ast, and remains in the divan until ten or eleven o'clock at night. 
During these evening hours he generally finds time for a game or two of chess, 
a person retained for the purpose being always in attendance to play with him ; 
and this fellow, being his Highness's buffoon as well as companion in amuse- 
ment, always affects to be inconsolable, and makes a sad outcry, when the pieces 
are taken from him. His active, restless temper, will never suffer him to be 
unoccupied ; and when not engaged with graver and more important affairs, he 
descends even to meddling. Nothing is too minute for him. His movements 
are sudden and unexpected : he appears in Cairo or at Alexandria when least 
looked for, which maintains a certain degree of vigilance among the agents of 
government ; though something of all this may perhaps be set down to caprice 
or affectation. In the affairs of the heart Mehemet Ali is not without delicacy : 
during the whole lifetime of his wife, an energetic and superior woman, he 
invariably treated her with the most profound respect, and she always retained 
a great influence over him. Even since her death he has never married another 
woman. She lies buried by her son Toussoun in a sumptuous tomb near 



PRESENTATION OF THE AMERICAN CONSUL-GENERAL. 169 

Cairo ; and when I visited the place some friendly hand (probably by his 
direction) had recently been strewing sweet flowers over their graves." 

March 17th. — To-day took place the ceremony of the presentation of the 
American Consul Ceneral to Abbas Pasha, the Viceroy of Egypt. A battalion 
of soldiers was sent as an escort for the Consul. These were accompanied by a 
band of musicians, who were all Arabs, but had been instructed by a French 
teacher. They were thirty or forty in number, and played pretty well, though 
not like the French or Italian bands. Their music was mostly European. 
They play Arabian airs, however, and I requested them to do so for our satis- 
faction ; bu.t I found the arrangement for a full band spoiled the effect, and the 
music scarcely resembled that which I heard upon the Nile. Four American 
citizens were present, besides the captain and several officers of the Constitu- 
tion, which had brought the Consul to Alexandria. We went in three carriages, 
preceded by the soldiers and by a number of mounted guards in Turkish cos- 
tume. Our carriages were not without the usual attendant of a groom running 
before us to clear the way, and ever and anon cracking a whip which gave a 
report like a pistol. This singular procession lasted for more than a mile, from 
the hotel to the Citadel. There is a certain line of streets where there is room 
enough for a carriage ; bu.t most of the public ways in Cairo are only wide 
enough for two horses or donkeys to go by each other. As it was, in many 
places through which we went, two carriages could not stand abreast. But 
these conveyances are so unusual in Egypt that no serious inconvenience 
ensues. The grooms go on cracking their whips, and this is a sufficient warn- 
ing for all foot passengers to clear the way, as those who can afford to ride are 
supposed to have a good right to the whole street. On arrival we went to the 
Viceroy's hall of reception, a large oblong room, surrounded on three sides by 
the raised seat, commonly called a divan, which was covered with red cloth. 
There was nothing splendid or imposing about the room. We followed in the 
Consul's train, and found the Pasha standing at the head of the hall, where the 
Consul made his obeisance and presented his exequatur, that is, his permission 
from the Sultan at Constantinople to act as Consul General in Egypt. The 
Pasha kissed the parchment roll and raised it carelessly to his forehead. It was 
22 



170 ABBAS PASHA, THE VICEEOT. 

a large roll, at least two feet wide and four or five feet long. It was written in 
Turkish. The Pasha then took his seat upon the divan, and made a motion to 
the Consul to sit beside him. We now took our seats in a row, but not like the 
Pasha in the Turkish fashion, as this would have been an awkward position for 
some of us. At a signal given, half a dozen attendants came forward with 
pipes, the mouth-pieces being of amber, set with diamonds. After smoking a 
minute or two, coffee was brought in filigree frames, also set with diamonds. 
They were very handsome. 

The Pasha is about thirty-five years old, short, stout, and extremely vulgar 
in his appearance. There is no look of intellect about him, and if my attention 
had been called to him in any other situation, I should have said he was a 
coarse-minded, ignorant, and sensual man. I believe, unfortunately for Egypt, 
that this is too much his character, but it is only fair to wait and see what he 
will do with his government. He is said to be a religious fanatic, and to have 
none of the liberal views of the old Pasha. His dress was very simple, a plain 
blue frock-coat ; nor was there any peculiar state about his retinue. A sabre 
was presented to the Consul, an attendant putting the belt around his neck. 
The Pasha now gave his pipe to a servant and rose. We followed suit, made 
our bows in ordinary fashion and retired. Without stood a horse handsomely 
caparisoned, with an embroidered Turkish saddle, a present for the Consul. 
He mounted the horse, and we all returned to the hotel with the same escort. 
The soldiers then went away, but the band remained to play in the area of the 
hotel for an hour or two. All the foreign consuls came, in their rich dresses, to 
pay their respects to our consul, and so ended the celebration. 



THE PROCESSION OF A BRIDE FROM THE BATH. 

Passing through one of the streets, our attention was arrested by a most 
singular noise, which proceeded, as we presently discovered, from a band of 
females on their way from the bath. Two days before her marriage, the bride 
elect, splendidly adorned, according to Egyptian ideas of ornament, and with a 



NUPTIAL CEREMONIALS IN EGYPT. 171 

crown upon her head, attended by her relatives and friends, goes in grand pro- 
cession to the bath, which is then shut up from the public, as the whole is hired 
for the bridal occasion. In the morning they set out, and spend the day in 
feasting and in various amusements, bathing, sipping coffee, gossipping, and 
admii-ing each other's ornaments. In the evening or afternoon they return, and 
it was the returning procession which now arrested our attention. In front, 
closely veiled, slowly and solemnly marched a large band of elderly females, 
and next to them came the bride, richly attired in scarlet and yellow, wrapt up 
in shawls and almost suffocated by the weight of her wardrobe. She was, 
however, supported on each side by two of her relatives. Behind her, equally 
veiled, and with the same slow gait, came another band of females, who 
appeared to be younger, and all uttered at short intervals that peculiar sound 
to which I have alluded, and which seems to be here the usual expression upon 
joyful occasions. It is produced by a succession of shrill cries, succeeding each 
other with great rapidity, and interrupted by frequently striking the palm of 
the hand upon the mouth. In cases where the bride is not sufiiciently wealthy 
to deck herself for the festival out of her own stores, it is customary to hire 
shawls and rich dresses for the occasion. 

The bridegroom also betakes himself to the public bath, and passes the day 
in a similar manner, mutatis mutandis, in the company of his ftiends. When 
the marriage day is come, the bride is solemnly conducted in a similar proces- 
sion, and adorned in the same manner, to the dwelling of her future husband. 
Her wardrobe and jewels are borne by slaves in baskets ; and while others 
burn incense, the same confused cries are uttered by the women. The proces- 
sion goes a long way about, and a sumptuous feast is prepared for its arrival. 
In the meantime the bridegroom is gone to say his prayers at the mosque, 
together with his relatives and friends, and upon his return they also partake of 
a feast ; and after this, for the first time, the bridegroom beholds the face of the 
bride. 

March 18th. — Though we had visited several Coptic churches, and made 
many inquiries into the history of this ancient body of Christians, we had never 
yet had an opportunity of attending their service. As it begins very early, 



172 MODE OF WORSHIP IN THE COPTIC CHURCH. 

soon after sunrise, we now liad time to do tlais before tlie prayers in our own 
church commenced. The service is very long, occupying three or four hours. 
The church was already crowded with worshippers. In the compartment 
directly before the chancel the patriarch was seated on the left hand, holding a 
cross, which the people kissed as they passed in and out. Occasionally a book 
was brought to the patriarch and held up by two priests, when he mumbled a 
few sentences from it. When the time for the consecration of the bread had 
nearly arrived, a small waiter with a number of rolls upon it was brought to 
him, out of which, after a careful examination, he selected one, which was then 
taken and placed, ready for consecration, upon the stone altar in the chancel. 

In the same compartment with the patriarch, were the singers and the offici- 
ating priests. The service was in the ancient Coptic language ; but the epistle 
and gospel were afterwards read in Arabic, that they might be understood by 
the people. A part of the service consisted in singing by a choir, occasionally 
assisted by the congregation, and accompanied by stringed and wind instru- 
ments, but more especially by cymbals, which were loudly struck, and which, 
perhaps from our associating them with the ancient Hebrew music, made a not 
unpleasing impression upon us. The whole service, wiih the slight exception 
of the book which I mentioned, seemed to be performed memoriter, and all 
appeared to be perfectly familiar with it. In the same portion of the church, 
before the chancel, there were a number of aged men, and as the greater part of 
their liturgy is celebrated while the congregation is standing, for there were no 
seats except the matted floor, we observed that the old men were supported by 
a kind of staff, about breast-high, with a cross-bar upon the top. They reminded 
us of Jacob worshipping, " leaning upon the top of his staff." A number of 
these convenient crutches were hanging upon the walls, and were taken down 
and passed from one to another, to those who had need of them. The liturgy 
being in the ancient language, we could of course understand little of the order 
of the celebration, nor could we see all the ceremonies, on account of the screen 
between us and the chancel. We observed, however, that a priest came several 
times from the altar, went through the congregation and blessed tbem, laying 
his hands upon their heads. From the large division appropriated to the nien, 



THE COPTS — THEIR NUMBERS AND CHARACTER. 173 

lie then proceeded to the women's compartment, wliicli was divided from tlie 
rest by the lattice-work already mentioned, where, as we understood, the same 
ceremony was repeated. As the service was so long as to interfere with our 
own, we left the church before the consecration of the Eucharist ; but we 
learned that it is customary, at the conclusion, for the people to approach the 
officiating priest, who then divides among them also the unconsecrated rolls. 
"We are informed that they communicate in both kinds, observe the rite of 
cu'cumcision, and that the service is always in a language which not even the 
priests now understand. The latter are married, though the monastic order is 
retained, and the bishops are chosen from among the monks. The Coptic 
Christians appear to be a remnant of the ancient heretics who were called 
Monophysites and Monothelites, and whose founder was Eutyches. But they 
themselves profess to have been converted by St. Mark, and that their patriarch 
occupies the seat of that evangelist, which was in Alexandria, though he 
always resides at Cairo. They are nearly 150,000 in number, and have about 
130 churches and convents. These are called Jacobite Copts. They have 
twelve bishops and one patriarch. There are 5000 more that conform to Eome, 
and have one bishop in Egypt. 

The Copts are extremely devout in their religious observances, and have 
many fasts in the course of the year ; but it is to be feared that they do little 
credit to Christianity by their conduct. Indeed, it is a sorrowful thing to 
declare that all the Christians in Egypt, Greeks and others, set but a sad exam- 
ple to the Mohammedans, and little is to be hoped from any influence that they 
will exert upon the followers of the False Prophet. Indeed, the missionary, 
Mr. Lieder, assured" us that he would rather deal with a Turk than with an 
Egyptian Christian. This statement, however unwillingly, a regard to truth 
compels me to make. We see an example in them, not of Christianity, but of 
the want of it, and that the ceremonies of religion, or its shadows, are some- 
times made to supply the place of its substance or reality. 

There is no provision among the Copts for female education, though they 
have numerous schools for boys. Mrs. Lieder, therefore, deserves the greater 
credit for the school which she established more than fourteen years ago, when 



174 THE PETRIFIED FOEEST. 

you could scarcely meet a Coptic woman who could read. I went tlirougli tliis 
school, and found it conducted in an excellent manner ; and in it the girls were 
learning to read and to sew, and to perfect themselves in other branches of 
domestic industry. 

The Copts are usually thought to be descendants of the ancient Egyptians, 
and Volney has an ingenious hypothesis that the Arabic word Qouhti, a Copt, 
is the same as the Greek Ai-yvw-Tio';, an Egyptian. 

From the Coptic church I went to our own, and had the comfort of enjoying 
more by the contrast, its dignified simplicity and devotion. I had come from a 
worship that had all the appearance of a religion of mere ceremonies, conducted 
in a language unintelligible to the people, to one which we could understand 
and I trust devoutly feel. Here I had the happiness of celebrating the service, 
and, together with a small but devout congregation, listened to a sermon from 
the Eev. Mr. Lieder. 

March 19th. — Our stay in Egypt was now drawing to a close, and we began 
to be actively employed in making preparations for the journey to the Holy 
Land. There were still, however, many things which demanded our attention, 
and which we felt unwilling to leave unseen. During the latter part of our 
sojourn in Cairo we had been frequently asked if we had seen the petrified 
forest, and this striking name occasioned one of those disappointments to which 
all travellers are exposed. For, after riding about seven miles through a most 
desolate country, and across a portion of the sands of the desert, we came to 
the designated spot, and instead of a stone forest of standing trees, avc saw only 
a hill, presenting the appearance of a site from which the trees had been cut 
off and carried away, while the chips and small boughs left 'behind were turned 
to a hard and heavy substance that had every appearance of stone. These 
remarkable specimens are found in several other places in Egypt, and we have 
from a celebrated traveller the following account of them : " The hills that 
separate the two valleys are covered with rounded silicious pebbles, with here 
and there pieces of petrified wood and coarse gritstone, lying amidst loose sand, 
the rocks below being a coarse sandstone. These agatised woods are mostly 
palms, a knotted wood, apparently of a thorny kind, and a jointed stem 



A DINNER AFTER THE TURKISH FASHION. 175 

resembling a cane, or a solid bamboo. The pebbles and woods have probably 
been once imbedded in a friable layer of sandstone, wbicb having been decom- 
posed and carried off by the wind, has left these heavier bodies upon the sur- 
face of the stratum next beneath it." 

"We had now been living for some time in Egypt, and a portion of this 
period had been spent in Cairo, that great city of the East ; and yet our mode 
of life at the hotel, and in the boat upon the Nile, and at the places where we 
had been entertained, had been almost entirely European. But before leaving 
Egypt we had an opportunity of dining according to Oriental custom" The 
Egyptians make but two repasts a day, the first an hour before noon, and the 
second, whatever may be the season of the year, an hour before sunset. The 
first is called dinner, and the latter the supper, which is the principal meal, and 
to this we had been invited. Before eating, the Muslim carefully washes his 
hands and face. A servant attends with soap, a basin and ewer, and the towel 
upon his arm. He then pours water upon the hands of each of the guests, 
beginning, however, with the master of the house, according to the custom of 
the times when " Elisha poured water on the hands of Elijah." The water, as 
it falls from the hands, disappears by a cullender in the basin, and is not seen 
after having been used. The table was a simple round copper tray, raised a 
few inches from the floor by a wooden stool upon which it stood, and around 
this we sat, our hosts easily placing themselves in the cross-legged manner, 
which we found more dif&cult, but after a little contrivance managed to get into 
position. Of course neither plates, knives nor forks were visible, but only a 
piece of bread and a spoon before each. First came a soup, then a pilaf, and 
several other dishes, and last of all a small leg of mutton. We felt curious to 
know how they would manage to eat this, without knives and forks ; but our 
hosts found no difiiculty, and helped themselves very skilfully with the thumb 
and two fingers, while we did the best we could with our spoons. At length 
one of our Oriental friends took the whole joint in his hands, and quietly broke 
it in pieces, which was easily done, as it had been thoroughly cooked ; and thus 
all the purposes of carving were answered. The dinner was soon over, and 
water being again brought in, and the hands and mouth washed once more, we 



176 OUR DEPARTURE FROM EGYPT. 

seated ourselves upon the divan, and pipes and coffee wound up the scene. 
During the repast, however, we were not without music of a singular kind, for 
every now and then a chant would suddenly break out from some person 
evidently in the house. On inquiry, we found that one of the relatives of ouj 
hospitable Egyptian was a singer in the mosques, and was now chanting por- 
tions of the Koran. It is considered a great blessing to a house to have a holy 
person of this description beneath the roof, and thus employed in exercises of 
devotion. 

March 20th. — This day was devoted to taking leave of our friends and 
making final arrangements for our journey. It was not without some sincere 
regrets that we now looked forward to our departure from Egypt ; for though 
we had seen and enjoyed so much, we were quite aware that, there was still 
much left behind us unseen. But calling up the objects' that have most vividly 
impressed themselves upon the memory, I find that the declaration of Tacitus 
in regard to Germanicus may not inaptly be applied to us : Visit veterum The- 
barum magna vestigia.- — Ceterum Germanicus aliis quoque miraculis intendit 
animum ; quorum prtecipua fuere Memnonis saxea efSgies, ubi radiis solis icta 
est, vocalem sonum reddens : disjectasque inter et vix pervias arenas, instar 
montium eductee Pyramides, certamine et opibus regvim. Germanicus visited 
the mighty ruins of ancient Thebes. His attention was arrested by other won- 
ders also ; of these the chief were the stone statue of Memnon, which, touched 
by the rays of the sun, gives forth a vocal sound ; and the Pyramids, built up 
like mountains by the emulation and the wealth of kings in the barren and 
almost impassable sandy desert. 

From these wonders we turn to the Holy Land. '' 



€^t l^xftmlh. 



In tis original and learned work, " De la destination et de I'utilit^ perma- 
nente des Pyramides," etc., M. de Persigny has given us sucli details as may 
attract the attention of those -vtIio desire mathematical correctness as to the 
several items of situation, shajoe, height, and size of the Pyramids. For most 
of the measurements he is indebted to Col. Howard Vyse. 



THE PYRAMIDS OP GHIZEH. 

These monuments stand upon a platform of an elipsoidal figure, forming a 
projecting point of the Libyan range of mountains, between two higher por- 
tions on the south and north. The height of this platform is about one hundred 
and thirty-seven feet above the valley, its length nearly 7000 feet from east to 
west, between the boundary of the cultivated lands and the last spurs of the 
Libyan chain. The breadth of this elevated platform, from south to north, is 
about 5000 feet. The distance from Ghizeh is a little more than five miles. 

The base of the Great Pyramid is one hundred and thirty -eight feet above 
the Nile ; that of the second over thirty -three, and of the third over forty-one 
feet higher. 

23 



178 THE PYRAMIDS OF GHIZEH. 

DIMENSIONS OF THE GREAT PYRAMID. 

Original base, ....... 

Present " . 
Original height, ....... 

Present " . 
Original height, inclined, ...... 

Present " " . 

Angle of casing stones, 50° 50'. 



DIMENSIONS OF THE SECOND PYRAMID. 



Original base. 

Present " 
Original height. 

Present " 
Original height, inclined. 

Present " " . 

Angle, 52° 20'. 



DIMENSIONS OF THE THIRD PYRAMID. 



Feet, 


Inches. 


•764 


00 


746 


00 


480 


09 


450 


09 


611 


00 


568 


03 



ion 


09 


C90 


09 


454 


03 


444 


03 


572 


06 


563 


06 



354 


06 


333 


00 


218 


00 


203 


00 


27s 


20 


203 


00 



Original base. 

Present " 
Original height. 

Present " 
Original height, inclined, 

Present " " . 

Angle of inclination, 51°. 



The base of tlae Great Pyramid covered 13 acres 1 rood and 22 poles. It is 
now diminished, by gradual accumulations around it, to l3 acres 3 roods and 
3 poles. 

The second Pyramid still covers nearly 11, a,nd the third almost 3 acres. 



SOLID CONTENTS OF THE GREAT PYRAMID. 



179 



But all these particulars will hardly serve to give the reader a just idea of 
the vast accumulation of stones in these artificial mountains. Sir Gardner 
"Wilkinson says : " The solid contents of the Great Pyramid have' been calcu- 
lated at 85,000,000 cubic feet ; and it has been computed that there is space 
enough in this mass of masonry for 8,700 rooms of the same size as the King's 
Chamber, leaving the contents of every second chamber solid by way of sepa- 
ration." 

I might be somewhat unwilling to give, on my own authority, another 
statement, which will better convey the idea of their enormous dimensions, and 
show in what manner the Pyramids have impressed some travellers. The cele- 
brated French savant, M. D'Abbadie, whom I met on the passage to Alexan- 
dria, informed me that a scientific countryman of his had computed that the 
materials of the Great Pyramid would be " sufficient to build a wall, high and 
strong enough for fencing purposes, around the whole kingdom of France I " 
I give this statement, as I received it, adding that a rough calculation did not 
make it appear absolutely incredible. 

Some further details from the account of Sir G. Wilkinson will serve to 
assist the reader in forming an idea of the interior of the Great Pyramid. 




~~^ 



" The masonry over the entrance is very singular : two large blocks resting 
against each other, form a sort of pointed arch, and serve to take off the super- 



180 INTERIOB OF THE GEEAT PYKAMID. 

incumbent weight from the roof of the passage. On going down the passage, 
at about eighty feet from its present mouth, you perceive the end of a granite 
block, which closes the upper passage, and which was once carefully concealed 
by. a triangular piece of stone fitting into the roof of the lower passage, and 
secured in that position by a cramp on either side. This stone has been 
removed, and the end of the granite it once covered is now exposed. But the 
granite closing the upper passage remains in its original place ; and in order to 
avoid and pass above it, you turn to the right by a forced passage, and after 
climbing a few rough steps, you come to its upper extremity, and ascend to the 
great gallery ; on entering which to the right you perceive the entrance to the 
well, which served as another communication with the lower passage. The 
angle of the upper passage is the same as that of the lower one, and both have 
the same direction, which is due south ; but one runs down to a subterranean 
room, the other up to the entrance of the great gallery, where a horizontal pas- 
sage leads to what is called the queen's chamber. This stands in the centre of 
the Pyramid. The stones in the side-walls are admirably fitted together, so 
that the joints can scarcely be traced ; and an incrustation of salt has tended 
still more to give them the appearance of having been hewn in the solid rock, 
which, however, on close inspection, proves not to be the case." 

The king's chamber is 34 feet long, 17 feet 7 inches broad, and 19 feet 2 
inches high. The roof is flat, and this and the side-walls are of granite. It 
contains a sarcophagus of the same red granite, nearly 7^ feet long, and only 
three inches narrower than the door by which it was admitted. It gives back, 
on being struck, a sound like a deep-toned bell. It has, however, been almost 
destroyed, not by Turks but by travellers. There are no hieroglyphics nor any 
sculpture upon it. There are small holes or tubes in the side-walls, intended, 
as Col. Vyse ascertained, to conduct air into the Pyramid. There are four 
other low rooms over the king's chamber, designed, no doubt, to protect the 
latter from the pressure of the mass of stones above it. 

The Pyramid is supposed to have been first opened about a thousand years 
ago, by the Caliph Mamoon, who expected to discover treasures within. The 
real entrance, not being in the centre, and probably pui'posely placed elsewhere 



THE FALSE PYEAMID. 181 

to conceal it, a forced passage was made with great labor, and after the work- 
men had penetrated about one hundred feet, the true passage was discovered by 
accident. But neither search nor accident revealed the looked for treasure, and 
as the people began to complain of the fruitless toil, the Caliph ordered a sum 
of money to be secretly deposited in the Pyramid, and when this was found 
the people were satisfied ! 

Whether the Pyramids were intended for royal tombs, or as mausolea for 
the bones of the Egyptian god Apis, or for observatories, or to protect the fer- 
tile lands against the encroachments of the sands of the desert — all these and 
similar conjectures must remain but conjectures still. 

On our voyage down the river I mentioned coming in sight of the false 
pyramid (page 155). This is situated at Meydoun, and is the first which strikes 
the eye of the traveller upon descending the Nile from Thebes, and of course 
the last seen upon the upward voyage. It takes its name either from its unique 
formation, or because a large portion of it consists of the rock itself on which 
it is built. It does not rise like the others from its base to its apex by a con- 
tinuous line, but looks like sections of three distinct pyramids set one upon the 
other. The lower section measures 199 feet at the base, and 69 in height ; the 
second, 127 feet at the base, and 32 in height ; and the third, which is in a 
ruinous state, and the base therefore not distinctly defined, is about 22 feet in 
height. Thus the whole height of this singular structure is only about 124 
feet. 

There are six smaller Pyramids near those of Grhizeh, three at Abousir, 
five at Dashour, and eleven at Sakkara. Indeed, the number of the Pyramids 
scattered throughout Egypt and Nubia is much greater than the reader usually 
imagines, as his attention is preoccupied with the superior size of the most 
famous of these wonderful monuments at Ghizeh. 



CIjEks. 



INTERIOR OF THE TOMBS. 

A full and accurate description of all tHe tombs wliicli have been opened in 
the neighborhood of Thebes, upon the western side of the river, would be a 
work of great magnitude and no small dif&ciilty. Nor would such description 
be easily intelligible without numerous drawings. Those therefore of my 
readers who wish to enter more extensively into this interesting investigation 
must be referred to the extensive and elaborately illustrated works which have 
been published upon the subject, and especially to Kossellini's magnificent Avork 
on EgyjDt. The general character of the paintings and sculptures which the 
walls of the tombs exhibit, may be gathered from the brief notices I have given 
in the text. We had been anxious to ascend the river higher, and if possible 
reach the first cataract; but we found that we could not safely make this 
attempt, and yet hope to reach Jerusalem by Easter ; it was therefore aban- 
doned. Had we however proceeded, we should have stopped at Eilethyas, upon 
the east side of the river, for the purpose of seeing some tombs or grottoes, 
which are said to be very remarkable. A description of one of these, from an 
unpublished journal of Mr. Kamsay, quoted by Lord Lindsay, is so graphic, 
and serves to give such an accurate idea of the scenes depicted in many of the 
tombs, that I insert it, as the book has not been republished in this country. 



TOMB AT EILETHYAS. 183 

" The history begins from childhood. The principal figures are the pcBson 
and his wife, seated together on a chair under which is a pet monkey : they 
appear to be on loving terms, and are entertaining a party of friends, who sit 
opposite a large collection of dainties : pages pour water on their hands, present 
them with lotus leaves, &c. Behind are all the preparations — the butchers are 
killing and cutting up the oxen (very well executed) — the process of cooking 
goes on — the guests come over the river in boats. In another part, the propri- 
etor comes in his car to superintend all his rural affairs ; ploughing, sowing, 
reaping, threshing, stowing, and weighing the corn, and selling it for money in 
rings, and every thing connected with agriculture, are minutely represented. 
The songs of the different occupations are written above, and Champollion has 
read them, he says. Droves of oxen, donkeys, sheep, &c., very spiritedly done, 
are brought up to scribes, who register them. The similarity, and, in many 
instances, identity of things in common use with those used now in the coun- 
try, is very striking. The filtering water-jars, and their wooden stands, are 
the very same ; the plough is the same, and the head-dress also. In one place 
boats are represented, some sailing, others being rowed, and others getting 
mended, or being charged or emptied. Our sailors were in raptures with them, 
and found out their own likenesses in the crew. The sail used was a very 
strange one. Again, they are drawing large nets for wild geese, which are no 
sooner caught than plucked, dressed, and served up. The funeral is a very 
conspicuous part. In some the process of embalming is shown very clearly. 
The body was placed on a bier, resting on a sledge, to which a long cord was 
attached, the end of which was fastened to a cow, and all the mourners had a 
hold of it. In some the preparations and sport of hunting are represented. 
These tombs are of the period of the eighteenth dynasty — about 3300 ago ; the 
colors are as fresh as ever, and except where the people, who probably live in 
them at times, or strangers, have broken them down, they are not in the least 
the worse for their longevity. The precision with which the dates of all these 
places is determined is quite clear ; they have the dates inscribed, even to the 
day and month, in general." 

The allusion in this description to the fact that people at times live in these 



184 GEADUAL DESTRUCTION OF THE PAINTINGS. 

tombs, recalls to me tlie visit we made to one of the private tombs, in which a 
family had actually taken up their permanent abode. I allude to it in the body 
of the work at page 120. It is situated towards the summit of the hill behind 
the Memnonium, having its aspect towards the east, and has this peculiarity, 
that instead of descending into the rock, the excavation ascends. The people 
live in the mouth of the tomb, or its anterior portion, where there is light and 
air. A part of it was used as a stable for sheep and cattle. The excavation is 
not nearly as extensive as in the tombs of the kings, but still nothing could be 
seen of the paintings without the light of torches — or rather what we were 
obliged to use for want of better helps, dry faggots and straw. It is obvious, 
therefore, that the process of obscuration of the paintings, or rather the destruc- 
tion of them, is going on very rapidly. It cannot be many years before the 
traveller will see nothing but blackened walls, where we could trace, though in 
some places with considerable difficulty, the lively delineation of a number of 
most interesting subjects. In prospect of the speedy and utter destruction of 
these striking representations of the manners of a people who lived thousands 
of years ago, it is fortimate that Sir Gardner Wilkinson has given us a descrip- 
tion, to the perfect accuracy of which we can testify. 

" This is by far the most curious, I rnay say, of all the private tombs in 
Thebes, since it throws more light on the manners and customs of the Egyp- 
tians than any hitherto discovered. 

" In the outer chamber, on the left hand (entering), is a grand procession of 
Ethiopian and Asiatic chiefs, bearing a tribute to the Egyptian monarch, 
Thothmes III. They are arranged in iive lines. The first or uppermost con- 
sists of blacks, and others of a red color, from the country of Fount, who bring 
ivory, apes, leopards, skins, and dried fruits. Their dress is short, similar to 
that of some of the Asiatic tribes, who are represented at Medeenet Haboo. 

" In the second line are a people of a light red hue, with long black hair 
descending in ringlets over their shoulders, but without beards: their dress also 
consists of a short apron, thrown round the lower part of the body, meeting 
and folding over in front, and they wear sandals richly worked. Their presents 
are vases of elegant form, ornamented with flowers, necklaces, and other costly 



REPRESENTATION OF ANCIENT PEOPLES. 185 

gifts, which, according to the hieroglyphics, they bring as ' chosen (offerings) of 
the chiefs of the Gentiles of Kufa.' 

" In the third line are Ethiopians, who are styled ' Gentiles of the South.' 
The leaders are dressed in the Egyptian costume, the others have a girdle of 
skin, with the hair, as usual, outwards. They bring gold rings, and bags of 
precious stones (?), hides, apes, leopards, ebony, ivory, ostrich eggs, and plumes, 
a camelopard, hounds with handsome collars, and a drove of long-horned 
oxen. 

" The fourth line is composed of men of a northern nation, clad in long 
white garments, with a blue border, tied at the neck, and ornamented with a 
cross or other devices. On their head is 'either a close cap, or their natural 
hair, short, and of a red color, and they have a small beard. Some bring long 
gloves, which, with their close sleeves, indicate, as well as their white color, that 
they are the inhabitants of a cold clime. Among other offerings are vases, 
similar to those of the Kufa, a chariot and horses, a bear, elephant, and ivory. 
Their name is Kot-ii-no, which reminds us of the Ratheni of Arabia Petrasa ; 
but the style of their dress and the nature of their offerings require them to 
have come from a richer and more civilized country, probably much farther to 
the north. 

" In the fifth line Egyptians lead the van, and are followed by women of 
Ethiopia (Gush), ' the Gentiles of the South,' carrying their children in a pan- 
nier suspended from their head. Behind these are the wives of the Eot-n-no, 
who are dressed in long robes, divided into three sets of ample flounces. 

" The offerings being placed in the presence of the monarch, who is seated 
on his throne at the upper part of the picture, an inventory is taken of them 
by the Egyptian scribes. Those opposite the upper line consist of baskets of 
dried fruits, gold rings, and two obelisks. 

" On the second line are ingots and rings of silver, gold and silver vases of 
very elegant form, and several heads of animals of the same metals. 

" On the third are ostrich eggs and feathers, ebony, precious stones, and 
rings of gold, an ape, several silver cups, ivory, leopard-skins, ingots and rings 
of gold, sealed bags of precious stones, and other objects ; and on the fourth 
24 



186 EEPEESENTATION OF VARIOUS TRADES. 

line are gold and silver rings, vases of the same metal and of porcelain, with 
rare woods and various other rich presents. 

"■ " The inner chamber contains subjects of the most interesting and diversified 
kind. Among them, on the left (entering), are cabinet-makers, carpenters, rope- 
makers, and sculptors, some of whom are engaged in levelling and squaring a 
stone, and others in finishing a sphinx, with two colossal statues of the king. 
The whole process of brick-making is also introduced. Their bricks were made 
with a simple mould ; the stamp (for they bore the name of a king, or of some 
high-priest) was not on the pallet, but was apparently impressed on the upper 
surface previous to their drying. But they do not seem to have used pressure 
while exposing them to the sun, as I had supposed, from the compact nature of 
Egyptian crude-bricks, several of which I have found as firm as when first 
made, bearing the name of Thothmes III., the cotemporary of Moses, in whose 
reign this tomb was also executed. 

" They are not, however, Jews, as some have supposed ; but of the countries 
mentioned in the sculptures. It is suflSciently interesting to find a subject illus- 
trating so completely the description of the Jews and their taskmasters, given 
in the Bible, without perverting the truth to give them additional importance. 

" Others are employed in heating a liquid over a charcoal fire, to which are 
applied, on either side, a pair of bellows. These are worked by the feet, the 
operator standing and pressing them alternately, while he pulls up each 
exhausted skin by a string he holds in his hand. In one instance the man has 
left the bellows, but they are raised, as if full of air, which would imply a 
knowledge of the valve. Another singular fact is learnt from these frescoes — 
their acquaintance with the use of glue, which is heated on the fire, and 
spread, with a thick brush, on a level piece of board. One of the workmen 
then applies two pieces of different colored wood to each other, and this circum- 
stance seems to decide that glue is here intended to be represented, rather than 
a varnish, or color of any kind. 

" On the opposite wall the attitude of a maid-servant pouring out some wine 
to a lady, one of the guests, and returning an empty cup to a black slave who 
stands behind her, is admirably portrayed ; nor does it offer the stiff position of 



DESCRIPTION OF THE MEMNONIUM. 



187 



an Egyptian figure. And the manner in wliicla the slave is drawn, holding a 
plate with her arm and hand reversed, is very characteristic of a custom pecu- 
liar to the blacks. The guests are entertained by music, and the women here 
sit apart from the men. Several other subjects are worthy of notice in this 
tomb ; among which may be mentioned a garden (on the right-hand wall) 
Avhere the personage of the tomb is introduced in his boat, towed on a lake sur- 
rounded by Theban palms and date-trees. Numerous liturgies (or parentalia) 
are performed to the mummy of the deceased ; and a 'list of offerings, at the 
upper end of the tomb, are registered, with their names and number, in sepa- 
rate columns." 

THE TEMPLES. 

The reader will be assisted in comprehending my brief description of the 
Memnonium by the following ground plan and sketch of the pillars of the great 
hall. I give them, together with the explanation, in the words of the artist by 
whom they were drawn ; to whom also the reader is indebted for the beautiful 
and accurate illustrations contained in this volume, W. H. Bartlett, Esq., author 
of " Forty Days in the Desert," and " The Nile Boat." 



::::v| 






J 



The Memnonium, though not the most colossal, is perhaps the most chaste 
and elegant specimen of Egyptian architecture, at its period of characteristic 
perfection, before its proportions were altered by the infusion of Grrecian taste. 
It was originally a vast and sumptuous structure, the effect of which, even in 
its present fragmentary state, it is not difldcult to imagine. Its lofty propylea, 
or gateway towers, covered with historical sculptures, gave access to the first 
open court, in which stood the colossal statue, the fragments of which we have 
just described. 



188 



GEAOSTD HALIi OF THE MEMNONIUM. 



Through this there was a passage into the second court, having, on two 
sides, the rows of the Osiride columns, and the two remaining ones of circular 
columns, part of which corridor is seen in the annexed view. The entire effect 
of this second court must have been imposing in the extreme. Three flights of 
steps led up from its open area into the northern corridor of Osiride pillars ; on 
each side of the centre one was a black granite statue of Eameses II. With 
his spirit awed by this display of magnificence, the spectator next advanced 
from this corridor into the Grand Hall, the azure roof of which rose above his 
head, studded with golden stars, and was supported upon a central colonnade of 
twelve massive, yet elegant columns. 




I have before quoted a passage from the private and unpublished journal of 
Mr. Eamsay, as given by Lord Lindsay in a note to one of his interesting letters 
on Egypt, and I cannot do better than conclude this attempt to convey to the 
reader some idea (imjjerfect it must be) of the wondrous remains of Thebes, 
than by drawing from the same source. So just, forcible, and discriminating 
are the few criticisms of Mr. Eamsay, communicated to us, that we unavoidably 
regret not having been put in possession of his whole journal. 

" There is extreme spirit and boldness in the execution, and the story is told 




^ . 
la 

si" 

I 



- ~~M*3 T^^ 



EGTPTIAJSr ART OF DESIGN. ' 189 

most distinctly and plainly. Thougla modern artists might have more correct 
ideas of perspective and true proportions, yet I doubt if any of them, following 
those rules, could so clearly represent, in the same space, the subjects contained 
in these. The liberty used by the sculptor, of giving you ground-plans, or 
elevations, or both, as it suits his purpose, is undoubtedly contrary to all just 
rules of drawing ; but one's eye soon accustoms itself and ceases to be offended, 
while the storj^ is told with much greater facility and correctness." 

Sculptures at Medinet Hahou. — " It is difficult to analyze one's feelings with 
regard to these drawings ; except in the hieroglyphical representations of 
animals, (which are perfect,) nothing is critically correct ; you confess that the 
drawing of every thing is most faulty, but yet the soul and fire, the animation 
and expression in the figures, is most wonderful ! A lion wounded, for exam- 
ple, strikes you as the most admirably expressive and living thing ever drawn ; 
but look again, and though the idea of a lion in agony and rage has been most 
forcibly represented to your mind, yet there is not a single line of the lion 
critically correct." 

" In a neighboring tomb to the first we saw at Qoornet Murraee, a group of 
oxen is splendidly drawn. I don't think I ever saw finer execution ; the rules 
of perspective are quite observed ; the gambols of the calves in every possible 
position, and the free touch and taste of the whole, are admirable. Near them 
are a few which have been fatted, for show, I suppose — not less beautifully 
done. It is thus in almost all of the tombs ; here and there, amidst the com- 
mon work of routine of professed painters, a master hand has been called in to 
dash off a few groups. In one it was particularly evident — two groups were 
unfinished in the middle of a series of the usual representations of a funeral — 
they were merely sketched in with red paint, but with a vigor and correctness 
of proportion which would have done honor to Eaphael." 

" The grand entrance-hall is the place which stamps Karnak as the first 
architectural ruin in the world. Ammon had indeed a magnificent temple 
for his worship. The varied style of the columns is interesting ; some are as 
old as Joseph's time. On the last propylon towards Luxor are the torsos of 
two lovely statues, perhaps twenty-five or thirty feet high ; they are much 



190 ENDUEING IMPEESSIONS. 

mutilated and have no heads, hut what remains of their sculpture and contour 
is beautifully graceful, and yet in the Egyptian style, arms close to the sides, 
and left foot advanced. The priests seem to have employed real master geni- 
uses, but to have confined them to certain fixed forms, at least in the human 
figure ; for where they are freed from these shackles, as in the animals in the 
phonetic hieroglyphics, nothing can surpass the execution of the drawing, as 
well as the finishing. Hundreds of sphinxes, statues, and figures of all sorts, 
are lying about this grand approach. One sphinx, in particular, made a great 
impression on me ; they say all sphinxes are male, but the features of a really 
sweet, pretty girl, could not be mistaken ; and though her nose, part of her 
mouth, and chin were gone, yet one hardly missed them, what remained was so 
pretty and elegant. One pitied the poor thing being tacked to such an uncouth 
body as that of a sphinx, and obliged to sit in line with a hundred uninterest- 
ing fellows for ever, as it were fascinated down by the wand of some ancient 
magician." 

" Off Luxor. We have revisited the temple here, and walked as far as Kar- 
nak, which is certainly the most stupendous thing conceivable. Every thing 
else sinks into perfect insignificance in the comparison. But we could only 
give a hurried glance before the sun set. We revisited the crowds of sphinxes 
and broken statues on the grand southern approach. There is a great deal that 
is uncouth and unskilful, the effect of which is only to be estimated by their 
situation as parts of a grand whole, and the constrained stiffness of which must 
be explained and excused by the despotic influence of form and custom in reli- 
gious matters, studiously inculcated and preserved by the priests ; but there are 
among them forms of eternal beauty, such as remain henceforth part and parcel 
of one's mind — pure and clear as truth- — no mystery, no mere symbol of 
m3rstical priestcraft, but a bright embodying of the soul of genius, which speaks 
from mind to mind at the interval of three thousand years." 

THE END. 



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III. 

"DEAUTIES OF THE COURT OF CHARLES II. A Series 

XJ of finely engraved Portraits of distinguished Women. With Descriptions, by Mrs. Jawieson. 
1 vol. imperial 8vo., morocco extra, $10. 

IV. 

T YRICS OF THE HEART. By Alapjc A. Watts. Exquisitely 

J-i illustrated with Forty-one Steel Engravings. 1 vol. 8vo., morocco extr.a, $7 50 ; cloth, $5. 



ALSO NEW EDITIONS OF THE FOLLOWING: 

fjUR SAVIOUR WITH PROPHETS AND APOSTLES. Con- 

\J taining Eighteen exquisite Engravings. Edited by Rev. J. M. Wainwkight. One vol. im- 
perial 8vo., handsomely bound, $7; morocco extra bevelled. $10 ; do. colored, $15 ; glass inlaid, 
$15; do. colored, $20; papier mache, $12 : do. colored, $18; glass, richly painted, $20 ; do. 
colored, $25. 

WOMEN OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT. A Se- 
ries of Eighteen exquisitely finished Engravings of Female Characters of the New Testa- 
ment ; with Descriptions by eminent American Clergymen. Edited by the Rev. Dr. Sprague. 
1 vol. imperial 8vo., $7; morocco extra, $10 ; do. inlaid glass, $15. 

'THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE. Delineated in a Series of Eighteen 

_L cliaracteristic Steel Engravings of Women mentioned in the Holy Scriptures ; the Descrip- 
tions by various Clergymen. Edited by the Rev. Dr. Wainwright. 1 vol. imperial 8vo., $7 ; 
morocco extra, $10; do. inlaid glass, $15. , 

'THE QUEENS OF ENGLAND. A Series of Twenty-seven ale- 

JL gant Portraits of distinguished Female Sovereigns. The Letter-press from Agnes Strick- 
land. 1 vol. imperial 8vo. morocco extra, $10; do. colored, $15 ; morocco, inlaid glass, $15; 
do. colored, $20. 

'l^HE PATHWAYS AND ABIDING PLACES OF OUR LORD. 

_L Illustrated in the Journal of a Tour through the Land of Promise. With 1 8 Landscape Illus- 
trations of actual Views. 1 vol. large 8vo. cloth gilt, $5; morocco, $7. 

BOOK OF PASSIONS. By G. P. R. Jamis. Illustrated with 

16 splendid Engi-avings. 1 vol. 8vo. cloth gilt, $3 50 ; morocco extra, $6. 

EVENINGS AT DONALDSON MANOR; or, The Christmas 
Guest. By Maria J. McIntosh. With 10 Steel Engravings. 1 vol. 8vo. cloth gilt, $3 ; 
morocco, $4. 

O ACRED SCENES ; or. Passages in the Life of our Saviour. 

O With 16 Steel Engravings. 1 vol. 12mo. <'loth gilt, $1 50. 



A 



ILLUSTRATED STANDARD POETICAL WORKS. 

POEMS BY AMELIA. 

(MRS, WELBV or KENTUCKY.) 

A new and enlarged edition. Illustrated with Original Designs by Weir. One vol. square 8vo. beau- 
tifully printed. Cloth, $2 50; gilt sides and edges, $S'^ imitation mor. S3 50; mor. ^4 50. 

" Mrs. Welby's poeiry has no need of endorsement : its sweetness and elegance, and truthfulness to nature, have long beeo 
recognized and felt by hundreds and thousands of readers. In very befitiing style have the publishers issued this enlarged 
edition. It has seven finely engraved illusirafions, from original designs by Weir. They are exceedingly beautiful, espe- 
cially ' Melodis,' ' Tlie Rainbow,' and ' The Rlother.' A more elegant book of poems has rarely been published. — Co?n, Adv. 

THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS OF ' 

FITZ-GREENE HALLECK. 

Now first collected. Illustrated with fine Steel Engravings, from paintings by American Artists. A 
new edition. One vol. 8vo. Price, $2 50; cloth, gilt leaves, $3; im. mor. S3 50. Turkey mor. ;$5. 

" Few American pnets would bear the test of such an edition as this, so well as Halleck. Of late years tliere has been a demand 
Tor his ;joems, much greater than the supply. The present, indeed, is the first complete edition ever published, including as it does, 
the long poem of Fanny, one of the most delightful combinations of satire, sentiment, fancy, and fun, in the language — and also the 
calehrated Croaker E|)iitles. whieli are as good as the best of Tom Mo'>re's, with the further advantage of being diiferent in suhjecl 
and m tde of treatment. The volume is a perfect ' nest of spicery,' and it requires no gift of prophesy to predict for it a large and im- 
i::ediale sale. Abjut half of the volume will be new to the majority of the readers, and that half con tarns probably the bestexpres. 
si tn of Ilallpck's peculiar genius— the felicitous union in Ids mind of the poet and the man of the world. The wit is exceedingly 
Ijrilhant, and every stroke tells and tingles up;»n the finest risibilities of ' our common nature.' Alnwick Castle. iMarco B.zzaris 
Woman, Red Jacket, Connecticut, and other well known pieces, appear now fur the first time in an appropriate dress. We doubl 
not that the volume will literally ' run' tlirough many editions." — Boston Courier. 

A NEW, COMPLETE, AND ELEGANT EDITION OF 

THE POETICAL WORKS OF LORD BYRON. 

Oollecled and arranged, with Illustrative Notes, by Tliomas Moore, Lord Jeffrey, Sir Walter Scotr, Bishop 
Heber, Samuel Rogers, Prof. Wilson, J. G. Lockharr, Thomas Campbell, &.c. &c. Illustrated with a 
fine Portrait and several elegant Steel Engravings. Complete in one volume, 8vo. Price, plain cloth, 
^4 ; cloth e.vtra, gilt leaves, $5 ; Turkey morocco, !^S 50 ; or on cheaper paper, $2 50 

" This splendid volume is at once tlie most complete and most elegant edition of Byron ever issued in the country. It is a fuo- 
simiie reprint from Murray's last library editiim, with the addition of six steel engravings, executed with great skill, "and looking as 
well as the prints of the best London Annuals. They are from paintings by Wright. SteplianotF. Rinliter, Deidemann, and Decaisne. 
In addition to these, there is a grand lifelike head of Byron, engraved from Phillips's portrait, and also an exquisite engraving t.f 
Newstead Abbey. Altogether, the mechanical and illustrated portions o'" the volume reflect great credit uj)on the enterprising pub- 
lishers ; and for its external appearance alone, tlie edition would take tlie precedence of all other American editions in tlie library 
form. 

'■ But by far the most important merit of the edition is the admirable manner in which it has been edited. It contains avast num- 
ber of illustrative notes by Moore, Scott. Jeffrey, Wilson, Lockhart, Heber, Campbell. Ellis, and others, together with numerous 
extracts from the difl^erent reviews of Byron's Poems, as they first came out. We are thus enabled to read not only the 
different poems, but to understand the opini ms of Byron's on temporaries regarding them, and to estimate their eftect 
upon the public mind. The no'es and remarks are critical, in a high sense of the term, and many of them severely critical, both 
U|)')n the structure and the morality of the poems. It would be impossible to convey an idea of the value and completeness of the 
volumes in this respect, to a person wh i hail not examined it. The notes alone of Appletons' edition would make it necessary to a 
reader of Ryrim, even if he were in possession of thee )mmon editions." — The Courier^ 

A NEW, COMPLETE, AND ELEGANT EDITION OF 

THE POETICAL WORKS OF THOMAS MOORE. 

(Collecled by himsell'.) The ten vohinies of the English Edition, complete in one handsome Sve volume. 
Illustrated with several splendid Steel Engravings, and a fine Portrait of the Author. Price $4 in muslin ; 
or extra gilt, with gilt leaves, $5 ; Turkey morocco $7 : or on cheaper paper, with Portrait only, price 
$2 50, 

*** Tliis is the first complete American edition of this standard poet, published in a handsome and enduring form. 
" Happinessof nature and felicity of genius are tlie pre-eminent cliaracteristics of tlie Bard of Erin. Everything lives, mtives. 
andspealis in liis p-ie*ry. His thoughts are as many and as briglit as tlie insects that jieople tlie sun's beam. He e.^hausts by beins 
■ nex liaustible. " — Hazlitt. 

A NEW, COMPLETE, AND ELEGANT EDITION OF 

THE rOETICAL WORKS OF ROBERT SOUTHEY, LL. I). 

rNCLODING OLIVER NEWMAN AND OTHER POEMS, (nOW FIRST PUBLISHED.) 

Illustrated with Elegant Steel Eiigravings, and a fine Portrait. One handsome, large 8vo voUiine. Prici; 
$'! .50 in cloth ; nr extra gilt, with gilt leaves $4 50 ; or Turkey morocco .$(i .SO. 

•Thnl)U!inlif»-riMi, S nthpy'« " ■■trv lire »u.:h llial llii< mlili ,ii .viu liunllv tail nf linilin; a iilacn in tin- hlirarv of f\„rv PrrMin 
fond ol'i'lc'-'inii litcrjilun' " — Krirr.lif Itft^""' 



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